


Mell-aculous Ladybug

by Maraculate



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Miraculous Ladybug Fusion, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Everyone is so oblivious that it will make you want to kill yourself, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Madeline is the real villain, Michael is Ladybug, Mutual Pining, She's Chloe basically, Slow Burn, Someone will be Cat Noir, Squipcident doesn’t happen btw, Superpowers, The Squip is Hawkmoth, Will it be Jeremy? Maybe, You heard me, love square
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-06-19 03:25:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 57,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15501270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maraculate/pseuds/Maraculate
Summary: Michael wasn't sure what he was thinking, running out into the middle of the road. He saved an old man, sure, but it was still a crazy thing to do. Michael was happy that he saved him, but he never would've guessed just how much his life would've changed from that one moment.The next morning, a strange box appears on his desk.A Miraculous Ladybug x Be More Chill AU that no one asked for. You don't need to know anything about Miraculous Ladybug to read this!





	1. Harbinger of Lightning

**Author's Note:**

> If you guys like this, I'll work on this along with my Staring at a Mirror series. If not, I'll just kind of let it simmer until I finish the series I was previously working on.

Time slowed down. Michael wasn’t sure what he was thinking. He was aware of everything within his immediate vicinity, yet he felt like he was watching the world from space.

 

An old man was in the middle of the road. A truck was about to hit him. Michael pushed him out of the way.

 

“Shit!” Michael scraped his knees and left a streak of blood. The old man was okay though. He wore a hawaiian t-shirt, cargo shorts, and was balding, but his face showed a large amount of gratitude. Michael scrambled to his feet and helped the old man onto the sidewalk.

 

“Thank y-"

 

“Are you okay?” Michael gave him his bravest smile that he could muster.

 

“I’m quite fine. Are you okay?” The old man smiled at him.

 

“I’ve broken bones before. Scraped knees just need a few napkins from Seven-Eleven.” Michael pointed to the store. The Filipino was shocked that he made it in time. He was just drinking a slushie and decided to walk home for once. It was after he crossed the road to the other side that he saw the old man. “I never knew I was that fast…” he murmured.

 

“I’m indebted to you…” the old man trailed off.

 

“Michael Mell!” Michael introduced himself. He winced and moved away. “I have to fix myself up. Goodbye!” He waved.

 

“Goodbye, Michael Mell,” the old man whispered. A grin appeared on his face.

 

Michael wiped up his knees and the Seven Eleven employees were kind enough to offer him big band-aids. He graciously accepted them and walked back home. His moms fussed over his knees, but he told them that he was fine.

 

“I’m not hungry tonight. I had a big lunch,” Michael said.

 

“See? Even he doesn’t want your leftovers!” Maria shouted.

 

“I will whack you with this spoon!” Martha held up a wooden spoon. Michael snorted and went up to his bed. He checked his Twitter, played Persona 5, and went to bed.

 

Then, he got a text. It woke him up.

 

‘Hey, Michael?’ His phone lit up and his eyes cracked open.

 

‘Jeremy, for once, I want to sleep. What’s up?’ He asked. It was seriously three in the morning?

 

‘Sorry. I was bored and I couldn’t sleep. I thought you would be awake.’ Jeremy replied.

 

‘You okay?’ He texted.

 

‘Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry. I just don’t feel like sleeping.’ Jeremy explained.

 

‘Okay. Later, dude.’ Michael shut off his phone.

 

It had been a while since Jeremy texted late at night. They were all Seniors and the school year had just begun. Maybe he was stressing over the prospect of doing homework and being in AP classes?

 

Michael fell asleep before he could think anything more of it.

 

-

 

The sunrise cracked through Michael’s window. It made him open his eyes and squeeze them tightly out of pain.

 

He stood up, put on his glasses, and noticed that he fell asleep in his grimy clothes. Michael stripped down to his weed boxers. He put on a white t-shirt, some sweatpants, and his hoodie. He then noticed something on his desk. It was a black hexagon that looked like it carried jewelry, but since when did Michael wear… anything that wasn’t clothes and his glasses.

 

“What are you? Are you a shapeshifter?” He asked before opening the box. It revealed earphones that were red with black dots. Like a ladybug.

 

Maybe it was a gift from his parents?

 

Then, they started glowing-wait, what?

 

“What is this? Am I about to be transported to another dimension?” Michael panicked and shut his eyes.

 

“No, of course not!” _Something_ said. Michael opened his eyes and a floating… _thing_ , was flying above the earphones.

 

“Are you some sort of off brand Navi?” Michael wondered.

 

“What’s a Navi?” It asked. It looked like a flying funko pop. “Anyway, don’t be scared of me!”

 

Michael grabbed a jar and closed it over... whatever it was. “Gotcha!”

 

“Are you willing to listen to me talk if I’m in here?” It asked.

 

“Will you teleport me to a dangerous dimension?” Michael responded.

 

“No.”

 

“Okay, talk.”

 

“Well, I’m a Kwami. My name is Tikki!” It, well, she beamed. She had a big red head, wings, and black spots.

 

“Mom? Mother?” Michael shouted.

 

“No!” Tikki rushed out and floated in front of Michael. “Please, listen to me. You’re the only one who can stop Squip!” It shouted. Well, it shouted as loud as it could for a funko.

 

“What’s a Squip? Is it more dangerous than an animated funko pop?” Michael cringed.

 

“It’s the person with the power of a kwami, like me. Squip is the name of the person with the butterfly kwami,” Tikki explained.

 

“Okay, so how is that dangerous?” Michael tilted his head.

 

“The butterfly has the power of generosity. As in, the butterfly can give power to people with weakened hearts and take control of them,” Tikki warned him. Michael stared at the talking creature.

 

“How does nobody know of this guy?” Michael wondered.

 

“We don’t know where he resides. It’s not part of our powers. What we do know is that the butterfly miraculous has been stolen, and bad things can, no, will happen,” Tikki warned. "He hasn't attacked yet, but that will change."

 

“Okay, you know what? I will believe you for now. Only because I’ve seen stories like this before and I don’t want to be the typical character who denies it until they realize the truth at the worst time possible," Michael nodded.

 

Tikki giggled. “You’re funny, Michael.”

 

“How do you know my- okay, I’m just going to accept this for now. Just… explain what this has to do with me,” Michael’s tone softened.

 

“So, the ladybug miraculous has the power of creation, right?” Tikki tried.

 

“Sounds cool. Like creative mode on Minecraft!” Michael tried.

 

“Um… sure. Anyway, my miraculous gives you superhero-esque powers. You have increased durability, strength, speed, reaction timing, pretty much everything!” She beamed.

 

“That sounds… broken.” Michael widened his eyes.

 

“But that’s only if you activate my miraculous. You’ll be transformed into the hero, Ladybug!” Tikki added.

 

“Like power rangers!” Michael realized.

 

“Sure,” Tikki shrugged.

 

“Do I get a weapon?” Michael imagined wielding a master sword.

 

“Yup. A yo-yo,” Tikki stated.

 

“Does it have blades attached to it?” Michael hoped.

 

“It’s magic. It doesn’t need blades. Besides, do you really want to hit a person with something like that? Even if they are possessed?” Tikki wondered.

 

Michael’s face fell. “Oh, God, no.” He shook his head.

 

“The yo-yo is very powerful. It’s practical, too. You can swing around-”

 

“Oh my God, I’m going to be Spiderman!” Michael interrupted.

 

“You can make two at once and spin them very quickly-”

 

“Okay, that’s cool, but what about actual powers? Do I shoot lasers out of my eyes?” Michael wondered.

 

“You-”

 

“Michael! You’re going to be late! Stop wasting time!” Maria shouted from downstairs.

 

“Okay!” Michael called out. “Sorry, Tikki. Is there anyway for you to hide?” He asked.

 

“Put on the earphones, but don’t say what I’m about to say next!” Tikki warned.

 

Michael listened. “Okay. Now what?”

 

“If you say ‘spots on’, you will transform. I don’t think your parents will like that. And, don’t tell them, either!” Tikki warned.

 

“They would be too protective of me anyway if I told them about all… this,” Michael nodded.

 

Tikki went inside Michael’s hoodie. “I’ll hide in here, okay? Take me to school!”

 

Michael nodded.

 

-

 

“Hey, Michael. You got new earphones?” Jeremy pointed out.

 

“Yeah. They’re pretty sick.” Michael had the earbuds hanging off his lobes.

 

Jeremy and Michael went through a rough patch last year. Jeremy was obsessed with changing himself to be ‘popular’ and he pushed Michael away as a result. Jeremy made new friends, sure, but Michael had spent many days crying over losing his best friend. Eventually, after everyone did ecstasy together at the school play, they started hugging and apologizing to each other for how fake they’ve been. Jeremy suggested that Michael be incorporated into the friend group and the rest was history. It took a lot of luck, stupidity, and drugs, but they were all happy as friends.

 

“I thought you were a headphones kind of guy?” Jeremy teased.

 

“Nah. You got all your homework done?” Michael harped on him.

 

“Yeah, mom. Thanks,” Jeremy scoffed.

 

The bell rang, and Michael went off to his study hall while Jeremy went to his math class. Michael went to a secluded corner of the library and Tikki appeared, but she still hid in his pocket.

 

“Can you continue to explain things?” Michael whispered. He looked around and saw that no one but the librarian at the front desk was inside.

 

“An important part of your powers includes the ability to capture akumas,” Tikki said.

 

“Akamas?"

 

“No, akumas. They’re the butterflies that possess people,” Tikki explained.

 

“That raises more questions than answers,” Michael deadpanned.

 

“Okay. So, the butterfly miraculous sends out dark butterflies called akumas to possess people. I told you that when the human heart is weak, that’s when akumas can take control. They will implant themselves in an important item of theirs and take control. While their powers aren’t as great as yours, they still provide a challenge and it’s not unheard of for miraculous users to fail,” Tikki warned him.

 

“So how do I beat them?”

 

“Break the item. An akuma will fly out, and you can open up your yo-yo to catch them. Oh, one more thing! You have a special power called Lucky Charm that will provide you a helpful object in your battle. It will drain my powers, however. Once you use it, you will have five minutes before you revert back to your normal form!” Tikki expounded.

 

“Are there anymore users?” Michael wondered.

 

“Not right now. Master is still trying to find someone that can use the power of destruction, Plagg,” Tikki sighed. “You’re going to have to fight your first battle alone, most likely.”

 

“Let’s hope for the best then, right?” Michael chuckled.

 

“Michael?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“I detect a lot of sadness within you,” Tikki said.

 

“I’m not the most positive person. I’m usually clumsy and I have social anxiety that flares up sometimes,” Michael admitted.

 

“I wasn’t finished. Yet, from what I’ve seen, you have boundless optimism. And I can tell that you’re a fun, nice person.” Tikki smiled.

 

“Really? I don’t see myself as optimistic all that often. I nearly gave up on my best friend a while ago, but I prayed so hard that he would come back and he eventually did… but even so, I still went through a lot of negativity,” Michael blushed. He wasn’t used to being genuinely complimented.

 

“There’s so much hope residing inside you. You’re very unique. But, the most important thing I can say to you is that you’re the chosen one, now. You wouldn’t be talking to me if you weren’t a good person. I can swear to you on my existence that you can do whatever you put your mind up to. I’ll be there to help and guide you, too!”

 

Michael cracked a smile, too. “Thanks, Tikki.” He wasn't sure why that pep talk cheered him up so much, but then again, there were firsts for everything. For example, it was the first time that Michael had been told that he was the chosen one for... anything.

 

-

 

“Hey, Jeremy! How you doing, I am ruling!” Michael beamed. The final bell had just rung and Michael couldn’t wait to continue Apocalypse of the Damned with Jeremy.

 

“I’m doing alright. I feel sick, though,” Jeremy sighed. He held a palm against his forehead.

 

“Aw, come on! We have to beat our game!” Michael insisted. “Who cares about your furry sicknesses?”

 

“Tomorrow. I promise. Okay?” Jeremy insisted.

 

“Seriously? Let’s just-”

 

“I don’t want to,” Jeremy growled.

 

“Woah, Jeremy, what’s the mat-”

 

“Just let me go home, okay?” Jeremy pushed him out of the way.

 

Michael frowned. He saw Christine and stopped her. “Is Jeremy doing alright?”

 

“I think so. He seemed tired in chorus, but that was it. Why?” She asked. They broke up at the end of last year, so that gave Michael some hope that Jeremy will learn to like him back. Especially when Jeremy came out as bi.

 

“No reason,” Michael murmured. He got in his PT cruiser and drove home. He said hi to Martha, who came home early from work, and went inside his room.

 

“Tikki, do you think Jeremy is okay?” He asked the kwami.

 

“I only get good grips of my holder’s emotions. Jeremy seemed cranky to me, but that’s all I could tell,” Tikki told him.

 

“Do you think he’ll be akumatized?”

 

“Many have tried predicting them. It rarely works,” Tikki sighed. “I’d recommend having the local news app on your phone.”

 

“I did that a while ag…” Michael trailed off. “Electrical outage throughout Montclair? No other areas reported of being affected," he read out.

 

As soon as Michael said that, his own electricity went out. Including his phone.

 

“Tikki?” Michael called out in the darkness. “You think-”

 

“The words are spots on!” She reminded him. “This isn’t a normal shortage!”

 

“Tikki, spots on!” Michael demanded. She was sucked into his earphones and he felt his body vibrate with energy. Within a matter of moments, a costume appeared on him. He could feel it, but he couldn’t use his phone to look at all of it. So, Michael looked in the bathroom mirror and was thankful that there was enough daylight.

 

He was in a one piece suit with spots all over. His mask had spots too, but it only covered his eyes. He tried taking it off, but it seemed to be apart of his skin. He held a yo-yo in his right hand.

 

“I look stupid,” he groaned. “Whatever. Let’s go.” Michael went to his window and jumped out. He was about to scream, but then he realized that the impact barely affected him.

 

Damn, Tikki was _not_ kidding about the bodily upgrades. He remembered her words about his optimism and her words about his yo-yo.

 

“Ya!” Michael threw his yo-yo. He went high up into the air and whooped. The entire city seemed so small as he soared through the air. Weed had nothing on the feeling of flying, the feeling of wind in his hair, and the feeling of invincibility. He saw a trail of houses go out with their lighting and put a determined face on. There was no time to mess around when something strange was going on.

 

Time to get to the bottom of this.

 

-

 

“Everything about you is just so terrible, isn’t it?” The Squip whispered.

 

“Everything about me is just so terrible,” akumatized Jeremy repeated.

 

“Good, good. I’m sure the miraculous holders will show up soon, so be a good servant and continue devouring the electricity!”

 

“Everyone will appreciate it when I take away their electricity. They’ll have to talk to each other and interact. No more cyberbullying and no more texting and lying on the Internet. If those damn people want to hurt someone, they’ll have to do it face-to-face,” Jeremy growled.

 

Michael swung into action and saw a figure with electricity dancing around him stand in the middle of the park. He wore a cardigan with storm clouds on them, a visor shaped like a lightning bolt, a black shirt, and jeans. He had short brown hair and a wicked smirk on his face. When he raised his hands, blue electricity connected his finger tips.

 

“I see Ladybug is here. You see those headphones? You must take them and bring them to me! If not, I will give back the electricity and make sure everyone berates you online. They’ll either fear you or make fun of you, so make your choice!” The Squip shouted. A purple butterfly outline appeared on Jeremy’s face.

 

“Of course, Squip,” Jeremy muttered. “I’ve made my choice a long time ago.”

 

“Listen, dude! I don’t know who you think you are, but the electricity in the city is gone! I have a feeling you’re to blame!” Michael shouted.

 

“I am The Harbinger of Lightning! With electricity flowing through my veins, you will perish!” He shouted.

 

Michael recognized that voice. He had listened to it for over ten years. “Jeremy?” He called out.

 

“That is not who I am. Jeremy Heere is nothing but a weak, self-centered moron. Jeremy was once hurt by people who hid behind screens. Now, The Harbinger of Lightning makes everything face-to-face!” He roared. Lighting shot from his fingertips and Michael swung his yo-yo at a tree to dodge it.

 

“Jeremy, just listen! You’re being possessed! Snap. Out. Of. It!” Michael said each word individually. Jeremy growled and shot a bolt of lighting at the tree Michael was at. He swung to a light and stood on top of it.

 

“I am being given everything I’ve ever wanted! If you keep this up, I will lose all of it. So. Give. Me. Your. **MIRACULOUS**!” Jeremy shot a red streak of lightning. It was a bit slower, but Michael could tell that it had more power. It hit the previously drained lamp and it flickered back to life. Jeremy winced, but he kept his angry look.

 

“Okay… item, item. What does Jeremy have that’s valuable?” Michael muttered. He couldn’t get close enough to determine if Jeremy had anything small that held the akuma.

 

A bolt of lightning grazed his side. It definitely hurt less than it should’ve, but it still burned.

 

“Screw this. Lucky charm!” Michael shouted. His yo-yo vibrated and shot up into the air. Ladybugs spilled of it and they formed copper wires.

 

“Copper wires?” Michael muttered. He ducked out of the way of another lightning bolt.

 

“Stop! Moving!” Jeremy demanded.

 

“Hang on, Jeremy! I’m going to save you!” Michael promised. “I’ll do anything I can!”

 

Jeremy’s resolve wavered a little bit. He stopped shooting lightning and Michael took that as an opportunity to get in close. He saw that Jeremy had on his half of the ‘Best Friends’ necklace that Michael had jokingly bought for them a few years ago. That must've been it.

 

Jeremy flipped out and released a blue shockwave. It threw Michael into a tree so hard that it cracked and he landed next to a sewer.

 

Wait, sewer?

 

Michael’s vision turned grey and the sewer lit up. Then, Jeremy lit up. Then, the copper wires lit up.

 

“Generator… There’s a generator in the sewers, isn’t there?” Michael murmured. He ripped open the covering and jumped inside. Nearby, there was a powered down generator. He grabbed the copper wires and connected them to the pre-existing wires in the generator. Next, he jumped back out of the sewer and saw Jeremy sporadically sending lightning bolts at random objects.

 

“Give me your best shot!” Michael demanded. He hoped that his theory was right.

 

Jeremy charged up a bolt and his lightning turned purple. He sent it towards Michael with a deafening  _BOOM_ behind it.

 

The hero in question held up the copper which took the brunt of the impact. The electricity traveled down the wire and Michael thanked God that his suit absorbed the shocks. It burned a little, but it could’ve been worse. Jeremy fell to the ground, the electricity between his hands all but gone.

 

Michael shot his yo-yo at his head and knocked Jeremy on his back. In a few seconds, Michael was above Jeremy. He grabbed the necklace and stomped on it.

 

A purple butterfly flew out.

 

“Time to purify this akuma!” Michael opened his yo-yo. He swung it around and threw it at the flying akuma. It got caught and his yo-yo closed around it. After a few seconds, he opened his yo-yo and flinched when a white butterfly came out.

 

“Oh! Bye bye, little butterfly!” Michael waved. He went back to his lucky charm and looked at his surroundings. “Shit… what do I do?” Michael grabbed the wires. He tossed them up in the air and they shot high up.

 

Then, they _exploded_.

 

Millions of tiny ladybugs flew around and restored electricity, trees, and anything else that was broken or damaged.

 

Jeremy’s costume finally melted away and his friendship necklace was healed, too.

 

Michael chuckled at the sight of Jeremy sleeping like a dunce until his miraculous made a beeping noise. It had two dots instead of five. Right, Tikki said that he had five minutes after Lucky Charm before his transformation would come undone.

 

He saw a few reporters come around, so he grabbed Jeremy and hid his face. There was no way that he was letting Jeremy get arrested over a magical possession.

 

“Wait, who are you?” One of them shouted. Michael could only hear her from the air because of his enhanced hearing.

 

“A guy who is just trying to save his crush-slash-best friend,” Michael murmured. He carried Jeremy with one arm as he used his yo-yo like how Spiderman used his webs.

 

With frightful speed, Michael swung him back to his house. He put Jeremy in bed and with thirty seconds left, Michael retreated to his own room.

 

“Michael, you did it!” Tikki yawned after his costume disappeared. As soon as he landed inside, the costume dissolved.

 

“I don’t know how, but I guess I did,” Michael yawned, too.

 

“By the way, the best way to recharge my powers is to give me cookies. I recommend always keeping some around,” she suggested.

 

“Okay. I can do that. These powers are cool, and I saved my best friend!” Michael beamed. His face fell. “Wait, he was talking about-”

 

“Cyberbullying. From what I can understand, Jeremy hasn’t been too happy on the phone. I’d recommend calling him and-"

 

“No. I got a better idea. I think I know what he needs,” Michael interrupted. Tikki retreated into his pocket.

 

Michael went downstairs and his parents told him the power was on. Michael said that he didn’t even notice. He grabbed a sugar cookie from the jar and put it in his hoodie pocket.

 

“You going to Jeremy’s?” Martha asked.

 

“Yeah,” Michael said as he put on his shoes. 

 

"Don't come back too late!" She added.

 

The Filipino man started up his stupid PT Cruiser and prayed that it wouldn't finally die on him. It didn't. Michael sighed and broke a few driving laws getting to Jeremy's house. Michael knocked on the door. Mr. Heere almost immediately came to it. “Hey.”

 

“Hi, Mr. Heere. Is Jeremy here? Heh, heh,” Michael chuckled. He noticed that his dad was wearing pants.

 

“I think he’s sleeping.” He pointed upstairs.

 

So he didn’t know Jeremy had disappeared earlier. “Perfect. I’ll bother him,” Michael said.

 

“Okay,” Mr. Heere shrugged.

 

Michael went up to Jeremy’s room and knocked so loud that he could probably put the FBI to shame.

 

“Come in…” Jeremy groaned out.

 

Michael did so and had to step over a few cardigans to get to Jeremy. “Hey, Jer,” Michael said.

 

“What?” His eyes were rubbed raw and he sniffled. A lot. He was in his normal blue cardigan, striped shirt, and jeans.

 

“What have people been saying about you?” Michael wondered. Jeremy froze. He then sighed and pulled out his phone.

 

"Twitter..." Jeremy looked away.

 

Michael nodded and looked through it. 

 

‘Is that f***** seriously in play?’ Dustin tweeted.

 

‘He’s leeching off Chloe and Brooke’s popularity. It’s so obvious that he’s a loser. Why do they like him?’ Madeline subtweeted.

 

A bunch of his classmates continued the awful thread of hateful comments. So that was what Harbinger of Lightning was talking about. People were saying awful things to Jeremy online, and it must have made him hate himself.

 

It must have made him hate himself so much that his heart was weakened.

 

“Fuck them,” Michael growled.

 

“What?” Jeremy murmured.

 

“Jeremy, all of us adore you. Jake, Rich, Chloe, Brooke, Christine, Jenna, and me all like you for who you are. You’re not leeching off of anyone. They genuinely like you. They would say otherwise if they didn’t,” Michael promised. He screenshotted the tweet and sent it to a group chat with Jeremy.

 

Immediately, Jenna promised to spread every possible rumor about them. Especially Dustin and Madeline. Chloe and Brooke said they would help out while Jake and Rich promised to scare the guys at school tomorrow. Christine wanted Michael to tell Jeremy that they were all there for him.

 

“Look at the responses I get after _seconds_ of telling them about the tweets,” Michael showed him. Jeremy stared at the phone and new waves of tears fell down his face. He wrapped his arms around Michael and Michael hugged back.

 

“I’m such an idiot. How could I ever doubt you guys? Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” Jeremy sniffled again.

 

“I’ve got you, buddy. Whenever you need me, I’m only a call away,” Michael winced after saying that. Were phone references okay? Jeremy laughed instead of cringed like Michael expected.

 

“I’ll keep that in mind. You guys are like miracles to me,” Jeremy chuckled.

 

Michael let go of the hug and pulled his friendship necklace out of his hoodie. “Look what I have!” It was his half of the heart necklace around his neck.

 

“How did you know I was wearing that today?” Jeremy gasped and pulled his out. He connected it with Michael’s and they both burst into laughter. They were total geeks, but they could be geeks together.

 

“I just guessed, to be honest,” Michael lied. Tikki ruffled around in his hoodie pocket and he lightly tapped it.

 

He could get used to this new lifestyle. If it meant protecting Jeremy, it was definitely more than worth it. His beanpole of a friend was an amazing guy with a sensitive heart. Michael vowed to make sure that Jeremy wouldn’t get akumatized again. While Jeremy could be a little shit sometimes, it was never bad enough to make Michael want to hurt or fight him.

 

“Well, do you want to order a pizza?” Jeremy wondered.

 

Michael nodded. “As long as you don’t get your furry germs on my slices.

 

“Fuck off with the furry jokes!” Jeremy burned red.

 

“You can’t deny the truth!” Michael cackled.


	2. Vermillion Kraken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat Noir comes into town, and the second victim of Squip's influence appears.
> 
> Meanwhile, rumors of a spotted hero circulate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought the name of this akuma was really clever. You probably won't guess it since it's kind of a stretch, but kudos to you if you figure it out before I make it really obvious!
> 
> Also, please point out any grammar errors. While editing the spacing on this stupid website (I copy paste from google docs), I probably deleted a few small things that I'm too blind to catch.

“Tikki. I just realized that you’re like a persona!” Michael shouted at his tiny friend who was currently eating a cookie on his desk.

 

“Like that game you play a lot?” She wondered.

 

“Yeah! Personas are born out of people’s personalities, and technically, my personality brought you into my life, right?” Michael stretched out the comparison. “Also, you give me cool superpowers along with a sick costume!”

 

“You like the Ladybug costume? All the males that have ever been given it seemed to think it was ‘girly’ quote unquote,” Tikki said.

 

“I think it’s cool. It was just a bit ugly on me when I took a quick glance in the mirror before I went out for my first fight,” Michael explained.

 

“For a first-timer, you did a surprisingly perfect job! Seriously, keep it up, Michael. I’ve been checking the Internet, and rumors of a superhero have been spreading. Someone in a Ladybug costume?” Tikki grinned.

 

“You sure you’re not flattering me? I don’t think I’m anything too special,” Michael sighed.

 

“But you are special! It’s an undeniable truth that you are a hero now!” Tikki insisted.

 

“I must be dreaming all of this. I’ll wake up in a bathroom or something. Someone pinch me already,” Michael said. Tikki pinched him and he screeched in pain.

 

“What? You told me to pinch you!” Tikki dodged out of the way of Michael’s swat.

 

“It’s an expression! Okay, note-to-self: Tikki takes everything literally,” he sighed. “Did your master find a Cat Noir yet?” Michael murmured.

 

“No. He’s looking right now. But don’t worry about a thing. Ladybug and Cat Noir are destined partners that always have each other’s backs. Whoever he or she is, they’ll be trustworthy,” Tikki told him.

 

“I’ll judge that for myself. Wait, can I tell Cat Noir my identity?” Michael asked.

 

“That sometimes happens, but you should be sure that you trust Cat Noir with your life before even approaching that idea. What if one of you gets captured? What if one of you gets possessed in some way?” Tikki told him.

 

“That’s true. Okay, I got it. I’ll hide my identity, just in case. You ready for bed, Tikki?” Michael opened a drawer. Tikki flew inside it.

 

-

 

“I think that I’m done smoking for tonight, guys. I’m going to go home,” Jeremy said.

 

“Okay,” Rich slurred his words.

 

“Jeremy, stay! I’ve got a lot of booze!” Chloe told him.

 

“Pft. No thanks. I want to get home in one piece.” Jeremy walked out.

 

New Jersey didn’t have very cold nights in the fall. Jeremy walked home and heard someone groan on the opposite side of the road. His cane was a few feet in front of him and he reached out for it desperately.

 

“Oh my God. Sir, are you alright?” Jeremy shouted. He crossed the road after making sure there were no cars.

 

“I’m okay, but my cane…” He trailed off. Jeremy grabbed it and helped the old man.

 

“Do you need to be walked home?” Jeremy fretted over him. The old man was wearing an oddly summer-esque uniform.

 

“Not at all. But thank you…” he trailed off.

 

“Jeremy Heere. If you’re sure, then I’ll go home. Stay safe!” Jeremy moved to his original side of the road and continued his walk home.

 

Jeremy didn’t see the smile dawn on the old man’s face.

 

“Hey, da- oh right, he’s in Seattle,” Jeremy realized. His dad was putting himself back together after Jeremy came home from the play, so that was a welcome change. It did make his house feel a little lonely, though.

 

His dad had just gotten a CEO job, somehow. He wasn’t sure what favors he called in, but he was working hard and bringing home the big bucks. Jeremy was honestly proud of him.

 

‘Goodnight, guys. Don’t get arrested.’ Jeremy sent to the group chat.

 

When his head hit the pillow, he had forgotten most of the day’s events. Probably because of the drugs.

 

-

 

“Good morning to me, time to start the day!” Jeremy groaned. He rolled out of bed and squinted. Was there a jewelry box on his desk? He tried earrings during the summer, but they looked stupid and Christine bought them off him. So why was that thing there?

 

Jeremy opened up the box and it revealed a silvery choker. It glowed and Jeremy screamed.

 

After a few bright phosphenes danced in his vision, he heard a voice.

 

“Stop screaming already!” Something shouted at Jeremy.

 

“What the fuck?” His eyes shot open. There was a black cat with green eyes _floating_ in front of the box. “It’s a flying cat! Oh, fuck, Michael is going to call me a furry when he sees this!” Jeremy freaked out.

 

“Look, Jeremy, calm d-”

 

“How do you know my name, demon cat?” Jeremy threw a pillow at it. The flying thing phased through the pillow.

 

“I’m a kwami. I’m basically a God, but not really,” he explained. His voice was scratchy and immature.

 

“What the hell?” Jeremy calmed down a little.

 

“Listen, you’re the chosen one to undertake the identity of Cat Noir,” it said. “I am Plagg. I grant powers.”

 

“What the hell is Cat Noir? Is this a furry joke? Did someone put a hologram in my room?” Jeremy shouted.

 

“I am as real as real can be! You got any cheese? Specifically, camembert?” Plagg asked.

 

“I want an explanation of all this before I give you anything,” Jeremy demanded.

 

“Fine. You want an explanation? So, you know Ladybug, the hero that saved everyone two days ago?” Plagg wondered.

 

“No one can stop talking about it. Polls are going down over his identity,” Jeremy responded. A few people accused him, but Jeremy said that he couldn’t remember anything from that day. He nearly shocked himself on every metal object that he touched.

 

“You’re basically going to be her partner,” Plagg said.

 

“Wait, what?” Jeremy’s heart dropped for a moment. “I can’t be a hero! I’m a skinny moron with no athletic abilities.”

 

“The power of destruction gives you superhuman strength and durability. It also gives you some pretty cool superpowers,” Plagg responded.

 

“And those powers come in the form of a choker?” Jeremy deadpanned.

 

“Precisely!” Plagg beamed. “You’re smarter than you look!”

 

“Shut up.” Jeremy threw another pillow. Plagg phased through it.

 

“Anyway, I’ll explain your weapon and powers even though it’s a bother. You’re given an extendable baton that’s indestructible. Your power of destruction lets you activate Cataclysm. When you’re transformed and yell out that word, you will destroy the next object your right hand touches. Careful, though! I can’t handle the transformation for longer than five minutes after you use your special power!” Plagg explained.

 

“You sure that you’re not part of a weird weed dream?” Jeremy wondered.

 

“No, I’m Plagg.”

 

Jeremy shook his head and shuddered. “Okay, fine. I’ll accept this bullshit for now. If you still exist by the end of the day, it’ll mean I’m not just seeing things. How do I use my powers?” He asked.

 

“You say ‘claws out’ to activate it, and ‘claws in’ to deactivate it. But don’t-”

 

“Claws out?” Jeremy wondered. Nothing happened. “Are you messing with me?”

 

“You don’t have the choker on,” Plagg explained. “But-”

 

Jeremy attached to his neck. “So, it’s claws out?”

 

“Are you serious-aaaaaah!” Plagg flew inside the choker. With a flash of light, Jeremy donned the Cat Noir costume.

 

“Ugh. Leather. Hope one of my super abilities is insulation,” Jeremy muttered. “Wait, I’m in a costume. A cat-themed costume.” A few moments of silence passed. “Everyone is going to call me a cat furry after this!” Jeremy screeched.

 

He ran inside his bathroom and looked in a mirror. He wore a large black mask that covered his face. He even had cat ears on top of his head. A bell resided at the bottom of his neck and he even had a long tail to go along with it! The silvery choker became black as well and a glowing green paw resided on it. His suit was a one piece leather suit with gloves and a belt with nothing inside it.

 

“I transformed… into a fucking animal? Oh, man, suicide seems to be the right answer.” Jeremy nearly passed out. “How do I get out of this? Claws in?” He tried. The suit disappeared back into his choker and it became silver again.

 

“Do you believe me now?” Plagg dryly asked.

 

“Okay, fine. I believe you. So, what else can I do?” Jeremy’s fear turned into excitement.

 

“I explained the pole, I explained the powers… oh, right. Your identity. Don’t tell anyone. Not your romantic partner-”

 

“That’s not going to be an issue.” Jeremy rolled his eyes.

 

“Your parents-”

 

“Parent. No mom for me to tell,” he sighed.

 

“Your friends-"

 

“Wait, why not?” Jeremy interrupted for the third time.

 

“What if they accidentally expose your identity? They could get akumatized!” Plagg was more serious than before.

 

“Akuma... what?” Jeremy squinted.

 

“Okay, I guess I’ll have to make a long story short. A bad guy named Squip took the Butterfly Miraculous. It has the power of generosity, but that generosity gives people powers and lets Squip take over their minds. Two days ago, he possessed his first victim,” Plagg said.

 

“I only remembered Michael and I hugging it out on that day,” Jeremy chuckled. “I must’ve done some weird drug.”

 

“Whatever. Anyway, whenever there’s danger, you’re going to have to transform in a safe spot. Then, you fight with Ladybug to destroy the akuma. The akuma is a butterfly that flies into a person’s object of value. You have to destroy it, so Ladybug can capture it.”

 

“How do you even know who’s gonna get akumatized?” Jeremy questioned.

 

“You usually don’t. Ladybug and Cat Noir typically react instead of act. One tell of every possessed person is that their emotions have to be at an all-time low. Anger, desperation, sadness, or something.” Plagg shrugged.

 

“Okay. Gotcha,” Jeremy nodded. “Wait, can Ladybug or I get possessed?”

 

“Your miraculous protects you from the influence of Squip. For now, just keep wearing the choker or else I’ll disappear,” Plagg warned him.

 

“Okay. Got it. I’m hoping this is truly real because I’ve always wanted to be an X-Men,” Jeremy squealed.

 

“Don’t ever do that.”

 

“Right.”

 

-

 

“Okay, so here is my theory for Ladybug. It’s got to be that foreign exchange student, Raquel!” Jenna shouted. They were all eating lunch, and Ladybug was easily the hottest topic.

 

“I mean, that kind of makes sense,” Jeremy said. Raquel had shown up the day Ladybug came into town, and ‘apparently’, Ladybug had dark skin. “Do you think more superheroes will show up with Ladybug?”

 

“I’ve been doing research. Apparently, more often than not, Ladybug shows up with a partner in a cat-themed costume. Wait, should we be calling him Gentlebug?” Christine interrupted.

 

“There aren’t any Gentlebugs though,” Rich said.

 

“Hey, guys.” Michael waved to everyone. “What’s new?”

 

“I’ve started a LadyBlog. I’m accessing as much pictures as I can from a friend I have at the local News station,” Jenna explained.

 

“What’s the purpose behind it?” Michael chuckled.

  
“Obviously about Ladybug! His identity, his powers, his daily life, everything! Unfortunately, the first ‘akumatized’ person was taken away before anyone got a chance to interview him,” Jenna added.

 

No one noticed Michael sigh in relief.

 

“Shouldn’t the identity of superheroes be kept hidden? What if it’s someone at our school? Won’t we all be in danger?” Jeremy put in his own two cents.

 

“The people want to know if this person can be trusted!” Jenna raised her voice. “Everyone wants answers. Also, someone overheard the word, akumatized, apparently. After doing a quick search, I found that akuma means demon in Japanese. So, the popular theory is that ‘demonized’ means possessed in some way,” Jenna expounded.

 

Michael had to appreciate her persistence on the topic. It didn’t make his job of keeping his identity secret easy, but he could still respect her tenacity.

 

“By the way, if you hear anything about Ladybug, tell me first! LadyBlog is the most important thing to me right now. More than any gossip about anyone!” Jenna announced. A few people booed at her, probably because she either interrupted their lunch or because they had their own blogs about Ladybug.

 

“Hey, guys. Where’s Rich?” Jake sat down at their table. Brooke and Chloe followed.

 

“He was just here.” Jeremy looked around. “I don’t know, honestly.”

 

-

 

Rich was sitting in the hallway. He was in one of the more abandoned corners, so he just sat there, looking at his phone.

 

Why was everyone bringing up Jake’s house? It wasn’t like he meant to start a fire. It was an accident!

 

It was just an accident...

 

Meanwhile, in a distant hideout.

 

An aging man in a purple suit stood in a tall building. He opened up the window and light shined down on him and a whole bunch of white butterflies. He wore a dark helmet that only showed his mouth and eyes. Two dark spikes extended past his shoulders and there was a butterfly design on his collar.

 

“Yet another high school boy haunted by the Internet. Everyone makes fun of him for an accident that happened _months_ ago!” His voice rang out. “Perfect for my akuma.” He grabbed a white butterfly, put his hands over it, and turned it purple. It flew out.

 

“They’re all going to hate me. They’re all going to make fun of me. Even my friends.” Rich rocked back and forth. “Oh, God.”

 

The akuma landed in one of the earrings he recently tried on. They were small silver hoops.

 

“Hello Vermillion Kraken.” Two purple butterfly outlines formed on Squip and Rich’s faces, signalling their telepathy. Rich’s nose turned a little red with the possession. “I see that your heart is troubled. How about we wash away your past and burn away the memories of the accident!” The Squip suggested.

 

“I would love that, Squip,” Rich smirked. A bubbling miasma covered his entire body and soon, he transformed.

 

-

 

Someone screamed. Then, two people screamed. The number increased like a fractal until everyone was screaming and the fire alarm was pulled.

 

“Where is everyone going?” A rumbly voice asked. Michael and Jeremy’s jaws dropped. A creature with the head of a squid, the body of a phoenix, talons on its feet, and tentacles across its body ripped off the roof. No one was hit by the falling debris, thankfully, but everyone was terrified.

 

“Rich?” Michael shouted. Was his friend an akuma? He opened up Twitter and the first thing that came up was people talking about Jake’s house. That must have set him off!

 

“I am the Vermillion Kraken! You all think that you can make fun of me for burning Jake’s house down? Here’s something to make fun of!” Rich’s phoenix body ignited and sent bursts of fire everywhere. It landed on a few of the student’s clothes and they screamed louder.

 

Michael dashed inside the boys bathroom. Jeremy went into the Janitor’s closet.

 

“Tikki, spots on!” Michael demanded.

 

“Oh, God, what is that thing? Why does it have Rich’s voice?” Jeremy asked Plagg.

 

“You need to calm down and transform already. It’s just an akuma!” The kwami groaned.

 

“Calm down? What do you mean calm down? It’s a phoenix-kraken chimera!” Jeremy screeched.

 

“Vermillion Kraken, you may take your revenge, but you should know that there is a more important objective. Bring me the headphones of Ladybug! It is the object that gives him his powers, so unless you want to lose _your_ powers, you will bring them to me!” Squip demanded.

 

“Yes, master,” Vermillion Kraken smirked. His face was stretched out and his ears were more like fins. The earrings still remained on them, however.

 

“Hey, Vermillion Kraken? What do you think you’re doing?” Ladybug threw his yo-yo and landed on the half of the roof that wasn’t destroyed.

 

Vermillion Kraken hissed and stretched out a tentacle. He slammed it down on Ladybug, or at least, he would’ve.

 

If a black blur hadn’t dashed forward to parry it.

 

“I am Cat Noir, and I’m h-here to help,” he said.

 

“You’re Cat Noir?” Ladybug gasped. He had messy brown hair, but otherwise, it was everything that Michael expected from his costume.

 

“The one and o-only,” Cat Noir chuckled. Ladybug wondered if he had social anxiety. “I just got my powers, so I was patrolling and… well, yeah.”

 

Vermillion Kraken interrupted their conversation with two large white tentacles. They both dodged in different directions.

 

“Please, tell me what to do. You have more experience!” Cat Noir insisted.

 

“Go high, I’ll go low? I don’t know, look for an object that could have an akuma!” Ladybug already wanted to pull his hair out. He didn’t want to be frustrated with the newbie, but it wasn’t like he was an old pro!

  
Either way, Cat Noir listened and he extended his pole. After jumping off it and then shrinking it back to its normal sized, he looked around. Nothing seemed out of place except for two medium sized earrings on a pair of fins where the ears should be.

 

Unfortunately, Cat Noir didn’t think of a way to get down. Vermillion Kraken turned to him with a death stare and widened his mouth. A rush of flames came out, so he spun his pole as fast as he could to deflect them. They still burned and he screeched in pain.

 

“Crispy cats aren’t tasty!” Ladybug shouted. He slammed his yo-yo into Rich’s side, but it bounced off. Rich turned to him and shot a geyser-like spray of water at him. Michael tried to spin his yo-yo fast enough, but the geyser knocked him into a table down below.

 

“Ladybug!” Cat Noir yelled. One of the talons clutched him and he wiggled in its grip.

 

“Hold on!” Ladybug threw the yo-yo and wrapped it around his claw. He kicked it as hard as possible and Vermillion Kraken screeched in pain.

 

“Cat Noir is here, too! Take his choker and his powers will disappear!” Squip shouted. A purple outline formed over Vermillion Kraken’s face as a result.

 

“Of course,” he promised. His phoenix body ignited and sent out another wave of flames.

 

“Ladybug. When I was up th-there, I saw silvery earrings on those fin things. Could those be what we’re looking for?” He murmured.

 

“You’re meow-verlous, already, Cat Noir,” Ladybug promised. Cat Noir beamed at that, so Ladybug didn’t feel stupid making the joke. “What can you do, by the way?” They had to dodge out of the way of another tentacle.

 

“I can dissolve anything that I touch with my power. Also, I found that I can helicopter with my pole.” Cat Noir demonstrated by dodging another tentacle by spinning his pole above his head and flying. Ladybug was glad that he was quickly gaining confidence.

 

“Let’s use my power, then. Lucky Charm!” Ladybug called out. His yo-yo shot out a few ladybugs and formed a wooden plank. “A plank? What am I supposed to do with this?” He cringed.

 

“Maybe you’ll give him some morning wood?” Cat Noir suggested with a small grin. Ladybug cackled.

 

“Keep him distracted for now! I’m thinking of something!” Ladybug told him. Cat Noir nodded with more confidence and shot towards Rich with his pole. He jumped around Vermillion Kraken’s body like Shaq on Godzilla from the Ultimate Showdown.

 

Ladybug’s eyes darted around. He saw Cat Noir’s pole light up, then the rest of the roof, and finally the plank. Tentacles and flames covered the other openings on the roof.

 

“Cat Noir! Activate your destruction power when I give the word! You’re going to send me flying with your pole after you destroy the roof!” Ladybug called out. He jumped to the top of the roof with his ladybug-themed plank.

 

Cat Noir jumped down and realized what she meant. “Cataclysm!” He chanted. His hand lit up with black energy. Ladybug jumped up and let the roof crack under him. With surprising agility, Cat Noir landed on the floor before Ladybug did and winded up his pole like a bat.

 

“Operation: Homerun!” Ladybug grinned like a madman.

 

“Swing, batter, batter, batter!” Cat Noir smacked the plank and sent Ladybug flying back up.

 

When Ladybug saw that he would go much higher than the twenty foot kraken, he swung his yo-yo around. It was a fifty percent chance, but it was a risk worth taking.

 

Ladybug threw his yo-yo at his left earring. That one got knocked off. He then reached for the right one but was promptly caught in a slithery embrace.

 

“You think your tricks will work? I am Vermillion Kraken and you will give me you-” Vermillion Kraken froze. Cat Noir was nearby, holding the broken earring. An akuma flew out of it.

 

Vermillion Kraken dissolved back into normal sized Rich and Ladybug caught him with his yo-yo before he could crash land. They stood in the middle of the ruined cafeteria.

 

“No more evil doing for you, little akuma!” Michael opened his yo-yo. He spun it and slammed it against the akuma. He captured it, waited a few moments, and released a white butterfly. “Bye, bye, butterfly,” he grinned. “Okay, Tikki said to try out this phrase when fixing everything because it was ‘catchier than the plague’, apparently.” Michael took a deep breath.

 

“Wait, wha-” Cat Noir tried.

 

“Miraculous Ladybug!” Ladybug shouted. He launched the plank up and it exploded into millions of ladybugs. Every ounce of damage that was inflicted disappeared within a matter of seconds.

 

Everyone who was there to witness the ladybugs wouldn’t be able to describe the magic that was unfolding in front of them. A brilliant red glow fixed everything and removed any trace of damage from everyone involved. Not even Ladybug truly understood the extent of his powers until he really _looked_. Last time, he was trying to protect Jeremy. Now…

 

“Oh my God,” Ladybug whispered. “This is awesome- wait, no, it’s spectacular... no… it’s a freaking miracle!” He cheered. The ladybugs dissipated when everything was done.

 

“Hey, we did it!” Cat Noir realized. He ran over to Ladybug, who had just put down a knocked out Rich. “You did it,” his tone softened.

 

“You had it right the first time,” Ladybug chuckled. “I couldn’t have done this without your help, Cat Noir. You’re quite helpful” he admitted. Sure, he had a few hiccups, but it wasn’t anything major.

 

“Really now?” His face perked up. “Well Bug-face, I guess we make a good team,” Cat Noir said.

 

They decided to make up a handshake. One high clap into a low clap and then a tap of their feet. “Let’s go!” They said at the end.

 

A storm of students came in, and they were all asking for interviews.

 

Ladybug’s headphones started to beep. Two spots.

 

Cat Noir’s choker started to beep. Three prints.

 

“Time’s almost up,” Ladybug muttered.

 

“What about this kid? Aren’t they going to berate him?” Cat Noir realized.

 

“Shit…” Ladybug bit his lip. He shook his head. “We’ve got to trust that he can handle himself. If we reveal ourselves now, it will only make everything so much worse,” Ladybug rationalized.

 

“I know, I know, but… what if he gets akumatized again?” He hissed.

 

“I…” Ladybug had one spot left. “Damnit, I have to go. I’ll think of something, I promise. Meet me at the top of Star Hill tonight, okay?" Ladybug took his yo-yo and zoomed out of the now fixed lunchroom.

 

“I trust you, for now,” Cat Noir muttered. He waved to the cameras awkwardly and fled in the same direction.

 

In the boys bathroom, Michael’s costume dissipated.

 

“Plagg, claws in,” Jeremy sighed. He was back in the closet.

 

They both ran into each other on the way back.

 

“Oh, Jeremy! You okay?” Michael ran up to him. Why did his heart go sporadic whenever he was around Jeremy? He knew that he had a crush, but it was never _lovesick_.

 

“I’m fine. Are you okay?” Jeremy nodded.

 

“I ran out to the opposite side. I was just w-waiting until a bunch of ladybugs flew everywhere,” Michael explained. A stutter, too? Did Cat Noir infect him with nervousness?

 

“Yeah, I came in around then, too,” Jeremy wondered how long he could hide his identity from Michael. AKA, the guy who knew all his secrets.

 

“Ladybug came around and said a few words to me. ‘Your classmate is in trouble’ was all he told me and I was given a message,” Michael explained.

 

Jeremy was internally grateful that Ladybug tried to help. “Let’s go stand up for Rich, then.”

 

They both went inside the cafeteria again, and it was mostly a warzone. Teachers were trying to round everyone up, news reporters came in, and people were trying to talk to Rich.

 

“Oh, shit. What can we do?” Jeremy wondered.

 

“I have a plan. Go get two metal objects,” Michael told him.

 

Jeremy found a few pots and pans. Michael took a deep breath. Where did his newfound social confidence come from? Maybe it was because he faced worse things than public speaking in the last few days.

 

“Michael, what’s your-”

 

_CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!_

 

Michael smacked the metal objects together. All eyes turned to him.

 

“Well, you got their attention,” Jeremy hissed at him.

 

“Shut up, I planned this,” Michael growled. He cleared his throat. “Ladybug left a message!” He shouted. “I want everyone to listen to this!”

 

Michael opened up the video on his phone and preyed that no one would make the connection.

 

“I want you to tell everyone that your classmate turning into a monster is not his fault,” Ladybug’s voice rang out. Everyone started whispering to themselves which resulted in no one being able to listen.  Jeremy handed Michael his speaker and connected the two.

 

“I want you to tell everyone that you classmate turning into a monster is not his fault.” Ladybug’s voice, a bit deeper than Michael’s, rang out. All eyes and cameras were on him. “A man named Squip took control of Rich through magic, and transformed into a monster after his emotional state collapsed. It is Squip’s fault. No one else’s,” he said.

 

The video cut off.

 

A new range of questions, mostly towards Michael, came out of everyone. They mostly came from the reporters, of course, but Jenna was also at the front.

 

“Who is Squip?”

 

“What is your relationship to Ladybug?”

 

“Can I have that video?”

 

Those were the most popular questions.

 

Soon, the police came by and escorted all the non-faculty adults out. The students were eventually calmed down, too. Michael sat back down and wiped his forehead.

 

“Dude. Where did that confidence come from?” Jeremy widened his eyes.

 

“Dunno. I wasn’t thinking about what they were going to say about me. I was just trying to help Rich,” Michael admitted. It wasn’t a complete lie.

 

The man in question came over and hugged Michael. “Thank you, dude.”

 

“Why are you thanking me?” He chuckled.

 

“You showed everyone that video! It really saved my ass, Mell. I owe you and Ladybug one for that.” He fistbumped him. “Tell him if you see him that Rich says ‘thank you’, okay? Oh, and Cat Noir, too!”

 

“Somehow, I think that Ladybug already knows that you appreciate him,” Michael resisted the urge to grin.

 

“Alright. You’re still going to tell them, though. Right?”

 

“Yes, of course. I will if I can.” Michael nodded.

 

“Hey, you missed it, but they’re letting us out early to ‘simmer down’, I guess.” Jeremy nudged him. “Want to go play video games?”

 

“After all that stress, of course.” Michael stood up. They both had grins on their faces, but neither of them knew the real reason why.

 

-

  
“Damnit! Cat Noir ruined everything!” Squip kicked the ground. “Without him, I would’ve had at least one of the miraculouses! I’ll just have to find another person to give me what I want, then,” he said after calming down. “They think that they’ve won because there’s two of them now, right? That cockiness will render them and their popularity to ashes!” He promised. The window closed and plunged the room into darkness.

 

-

 

Ladybug sat down at the top of Star Hill. As one could probably guess, it was the highest hill in Montclair. It offered the best view of the night sky.

 

“Ladybug? That y-you?” Cat Noir whispered. He extended his pole and jumped next to him.

 

“Who else?” He asked. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about all… this.”

 

“You’re already sick of me, m-milord?” Cat Noir teased.

 

“Milord? That’s a new one. But, no, I like having you around. Even though you are a furry,” Ladybug chuckled.

 

“Ugh, of course _you_ make that joke. I hate this century’s memes.” Cat Noir poked Ladybug with his baton.

 

“Don’t poke me with your fucking pole.” Ladybug widened his eyes. “Wait, fuck-”

 

“Dirty jokes? From a teenage superhero? How is that going to affect your public image?” Cat Noir gasped.

 

“I’m not sure if you want to be a flirty pussy. If you catch my drift, of course,” Ladybug retorted.

 

“You wound me, milord.” He exaggerated by falling over and playing dead.

 

“Okay, Dog Noir. In all seriousness, I want to talk about patrols. I feel like the introduction of us and Squip have brought an unprecedented change.” Ladybug flicked his yo-yo and reeled it back in.

 

“Like what?” Cat Noir’s tone hardened.

 

“Look down there!” Ladybug stood up. His vision was enhanced, so he could see a bunch of teenagers in an alley.. They were all holding weapons. Gauntlets, axes, chainsaws, crowbars, spears, whips, flamethrowers, and even a few pistols.

 

“What the hell?” Cat Noir asked. He jumped off and Ladybug followed.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Ladybug asked as he knocked away the more dangerous weapons with a few well-placed strikes.

 

“Ladybug and Cat Noir! From the news!” One of them shouted.

 

“Scatter!” One of them took a beer bottle and chucked it at the ground.

 

“We’re catching these goons, no matter what!” Ladybug swung over to the opposite end of the alley. Cat Noir covered the other end.

 

“We’re g-going to call the police!” Cat Noir flinched at a few of the weapons.

 

“Surrender now, and I might not hang you by your feet from a ten story building!” Ladybug belted. A few of the teenagers backed off from her.

 

Cat Noir raised his own baton and extended it to a broadsword length. “I don’t want to hurt people..” He trailed off.

 

The teenagers took the initiative. One of them pulled out throwing knives and chucked them. Cat Noir spun his baton and knocked them away.

 

“Get him!” One of them raised his axe.

 

His eyes hardened. Cat Noir parried it.

 

“But I won’t let you goons hurt others, either!”

 

Cat Noir charged forward and smacked his pole against one of their heads. He felt someone smash their crowbar on his back, but his suit took most of the impact. Cat Noir spun and clawed at his face. Blood stained his claws. His eyes widened.

 

“My fucking face! You’re going to pay for that, you fucking- agh!” Their eyes blazed with anger. Cat Noir sighed. He thought he made one of them go blind.

 

“Cat Noir, calm down.” Ladybug jumped next to him. He squeezed his less experienced partner’s shoulder and Cat Noir rested his weapon by his leg.

 

“I… I got a bit carried away, Ladybug.” He looked down.

 

“You’re right, but that shouldn’t deter you. Control your anger and try to hold back. These aren’t supervillains,” Ladybug whispered.

 

“Okay. Guide my moves… milord,” the title drop came with hesitance.

 

“I tied up the other exit with my yo-yo, and they’re all scared to make a move,” Ladybug put his back to Cat Noir’s.

 

“I have a plan,” Cat Noir realized. He grabbed Ladybug’s hand. “Do you trust me?”

 

Ladybug squeezed it. “Do it.”

 

Cat Noir jumped over the teenagers, Ladybug in hand, and stood at the end of the alley. He took out his baton and made its length normal sized. He spun it. Fast.

 

“Knock them into your web,” Cat Noir said. Ladybug grinned and spun his yo-yo at a similar speed. A gust of wind formed that buffeted them, but didn’t knock them back.

 

Ladybug groaned. “Lucky Charm!” She demanded. A large sheet of paper formed in her hands.

 

“A sheet of paper? What am I supposed to do with this?” He cringed.

 

“Maybe you can draw them a ticket?” Cat Noir suggested. They started approaching.

 

Ladybug’s vision went grey. She saw her first yo-yo’s strings, Cat Noir’s baton, the teenagers, and the paper.

 

“Oh, duh,” Ladybug sighed. “Cat Noir, put as much speed into the spinning as possible!”

 

“I’m trying, but I’ll push it!” Cat Noir promised. Ladybug threw the piece of paper and it landed on all of their faces. He instantly made his first yo-yo disappear and spun both yo-yos in his hands as fast as possible. They were all knocked down and Ladybug swung over to tie them all up.

 

“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?” Cat Noir’s baton lit up.

 

“It’s Cat Noir… and Ladybug. A bunch of teenagers were about to fight each other. With weapons. In an alley near Star Hill. We stopped them” Jeremy said.

 

“We’ll be sending police cars to your location. Why can’t we trace yo-”

 

“Goodbye!” Cat Noir hung up. Ladybug chuckled.

 

“I think we should ditch the scene, but we should also leave a mark,” he suggested.

 

Cat Noir’s ears perked up. “Okay, how about this?” He took the paper and ‘wrote’ out their names by slicing through the paper.

 

“That… works.” Ladybug took a while to decide on a good word. Cat Noir nodded and extended his baton.

 

“Press one of the buttons on your yo-yo to access the phone. For me, it’s the pawprint on my baton,” Cat Noir told him.

 

Ladybug nodded. He used one of his yo-yo’s, spun it, and did a few flips in mid-air before returning to his house.

 

When Michael and Jeremy’s heads hit the pillows, they both suffered from different kinds of exhaustion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael is literally becoming Marinette around Jeremy and Cat Noir is a nervous wreck around Ladybug because he wants to prove himself.
> 
> I'm really excited to introduce the biggest part of Miraculous Ladybug. It's not the hidden powers of the Miraculouses (the choker and headphones), it's not the big identity reveal of Ladybug, Cat Noir, or Squip, nor is it the messy emotions of teenagers.
> 
> Nah. The Love Square is where it's at. AKA Cat Noir and Michael / Ladybug and Jeremy interacting.


	3. Mercutio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Insecurities even get to superheroes. Especially teenage superheroes.
> 
> And another classmate gets akumatized! Will Cat Noir be there? Or will Ladybug exit the stage permanently?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lowkey I'm having a lot of fun writing this. I think that I'll end this sometime soon after everyone in the cast gets akumatized.

“After a few hiccups with The Sandwoman, Ladybug finished off the akumatized woman and it revealed her to be Heidi H-” Jeremy flicked the remote’s power button.

 

“Okay, so you messed up a few times. You’re a newbie. No one cares.” Plagg floated lazily about.

 

“They all care!” Jeremy belted. “How could you just float there and be calm when everyone hates me!”

 

“They don’t all hate you,” Plagg said.

 

Jeremy turned on the TV.

 

“Cat Noir is a fun guy, but he is hard to synchronize with sometimes. Yeah, he makes stupid decisions, but it doesn’t make me omniscient in comparison. We’re still both human at the core. Okay?” Ladybug said.

 

“I know that look. He’s holding back scathing words for me. I bet he gets too frustrated with me and hates working with me,” Jeremy said. He gripped the choker.

 

“Hey, kid, don’t-"

 

Jeremy stared at the silvery choker. Plagg deserved a better representative. He would have to think of someone to give it too in case Ladybug needed help that wasn’t from him.

 

Jeremy decided to shove it deep in his bag and he went to school, a dark cloud settling over his head.

 

-

 

“Cat Noir is frustrating me!” Michael fell back on his bed. 

 

“I don’t think you’re being fair, Michael.” Tikki tilted her head.

 

“It’s just… oh my God, he is so clumsy! He only knows how to obey for some reason! He can’t think of plans for himself! Remember last week when he came up with that wind idea against those thugs? What happened to that initiative?” Michael scoffed.

 

“Maybe he suffers from issues at home. Don’t you think that he looks lonely? He reminds me of Jeremy in a way,” Tikki said.

 

“Cat Noir is a stuttering mess who gets in over his head and out of control way too fast. Jeremy is a quiet guy with a sensitive heart, but a great sense of humor. Sure, Cat Noir is funny, but Jeremy makes my heart melt,” Michael sighed.

 

“Do you often tell Jeremy how you feel?” Tikki wondered.

 

“No. Only because ugh, emotions. It’s hard for me to tell him how much I care about him. He knows that I have his back, and I know he has mine. I just wish that he liked me back for sure,” Michael sighed. 

 

“When Jeremy was safe, you showed how much you cared about him by hugging him. Why is that so hard to do now?” Tikki asked.

 

“He thought of that in a best friends way. I want us to be boyfriends,” Michael murmured.

 

“I see. I think you have a warm heart. You just need to show it as Ladybug as well as Michael Mell. Talk to Cat Noir like you would to Jeremy. You don’t know what’s going on in his head. What if he’s hurting?” Tikki asked.

 

“True. Okay, fine. You’re right, and I’m wrong. I’ll try to be more patient and be more forgiving. I just wish that he was more confident, you know?” Michael turned to Tikki.

 

“It’s a completely valid feeling. Now, come on. You’ll be late to school.” Tikki picked up his bag.

 

Michael grabbed it and Tikki went inside.

 

-

 

“Hey, Jeremy!” Michael waved him over. “I decided that today I’ll be a good person!” He beamed.

 

“So nothing’s new with you, then?” Jeremy chuckled.

 

Michael didn’t show it, but his heart was beating at a million miles per hour. Holy fuck, he needed to calm down. 

 

“You’re so sweet, honeycakes. Anyway, how are you doing?” Michael asked.

 

Jeremy’s face fell a little. “I don’t know. I haven’t felt great since that night I freaked out over a few tweets.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

 

“Hey, man. That’s all garbage, okay? You’re an awesome guy,” Michael promised.

 

Jeremy wondered how Michael would react to him being Cat Noir. He would probably be disappointed. Then, Jeremy had an idea.

 

What if he gave the choker to Michael?

 

If Jeremy had to be honest, a corpse could be a better Cat Noir. Michael would be perfect for the job.

 

“There’s something I have to give you,” Jeremy said.

 

“Was dat? It better not be a wet willy,” Michael warned him.

 

Jeremy snorted. While being a hero was fun, hanging out with his best friend was better. He didn’t want to feel responsibility for people anymore. It was selfish. He knew that. He didn’t care. 

 

No one liked him as Cat Noir. They would hate him if they knew that painfully bland Jeremy was the man under the mask.

 

“It’s a-” the bell interrupted his statement.

 

“Tell me later, okay? I’ve got to go!” Michael waved goodbye.

 

Jeremy waved back, a crestfallen look on his face.

 

-

 

Jeremy went through the rest of his day with angst on his mind. He couldn’t help but berate himself on everything he did wrong. He knew that Ladybug wanted a better partner, he knew that he was inferior to him, and he knew that the public preferred Ladybug.

 

“Hey, Jeremy. What do you think our play will be this year? I know you’re excited to do it!” Christine came up to him at the end of the day. She was holding a foam blade from the theatre. 

 

“Not right now, Christine.” Jeremy shrugged her off.

 

“You okay?” Her tone softened.

 

“Not really, but I’m not going to talk about it,” Jeremy said.

 

“But you tell me everything. What makes this different?” She was genuinely concerned.

 

“Back off. I’m really not in the mood for talking,” Jeremy growled. "Stop pestering me."

 

Christine couldn’t come up with any words to help him. She watched him retreat for a little bit before she looked down.

 

Meanwhile, the shutters on the window in Squip’s lair opened.

 

“A young girl concerned for her friend that won’t talk to her. Her feelings of helplessness at an all-time low! Perfect, just, perfect!” Squip grinned. He took a butterfly and turned it into an akuma. “Fly, my little akuma!”

 

Christine got a few strange looks from her classmates, but she was upset at herself for being so… useless! What was wrong with her friend?

 

The akuma flew into her sword. A thin purple butterfly outline appeared on her face as her face darkened.

 

“Hello, Mercutio! Your friend refuses your support, so what if I told you that you could support him and anyone else in distress? They would love you back for it instead of brushing you off! You can help anyone you’d like on one condition. Bring me the headphones of Ladybug and choker of Cat Noir!” Squip grinned.

 

“Of course, Squip,” Christine smirked. The darkness bubbled around Christine, and everyone screamed.

 

“Christine, what are you doing?” One of them shouted.

 

“I’m going to save everyone!”

 

-

 

Michael was at his locker when he heard screams. He slammed it shut and heard someone shout the words ‘Christine’ and ‘akuma’ in the same sentence.

 

Michael dashed outside away from the sight of the school cameras and Tikki flew out. 

 

“Tikki, we have to help. Spots on!” He demanded. A bright flash of light brought his suit on. He threw his yo-yo at the roof and flipped through the air. 

 

Unfortunately, he overshot his distance.

 

“Ah! Watch out, watch out, watch out!” Ladybug crashed on the sidewalk. He saw someone walking right before he interrupted, so he picked himself up and profusely apologized.

 

“Ladybug?” Jeremy couldn’t believe his eyes.

 

“Oh, hi, uh, Jeremy, right?” Ladybug grinned. 

 

“H-Hi… I’m Jeremy, yeah. How do you know me?” He asked.

 

“Well, you see, it’s just that your picture was featured in that one news article about a video game. Wasn’t it that Super Smash Bros tournament you won? Yeah, that was it!” Ladybug rambled. “Anyway, there’s an akuma, and I have to go!”

 

“Oh, did you get hit by one of its attacks?” Jeremy’s breath hitched.

 

“Y-Yeah, that happened! But I’m fine! Gottagobye!” He dashed off.

 

Jeremy took out the choker and stared at it. Ladybug would be fine without Cat Noir. He had to find Michael, though, and he was still in class.

 

Jeremy followed the hero.

 

-

 

“I am Mercutio!” Christine cackled. She was in a medieval knight’s outfit and her broadsword was made out of mithril. Her entire body was covered in armor. No obvious weak points.

 

Every time she slashed at someone and cut them, they would worship Mercutio. They wouldn’t fight, but they would cheer her on like fans. It was unfortunate for Mercutio that she couldn’t have minions, but it was nice to be appreciated and to be at the center of attention. 

 

“And I’m Ladybug!” Michael stepped inside the school. He spun his yo-yo in his right hand. “And I’m also wondering where Cat Noir is…” 

 

“Ladybug,” Mercutio growled. She charged him and slashed at his torso. Ladybug jumped on the sword and kicked her helmet. It shook a little, but she recovered in a matter of moments.

 

“Obviously, you’re thick skulled!” Ladybug chuckled. He gasped and dodged out of a particularly large stab. How many did styles of swordsmanship did she need and know?

 

“Michael?” Jeremy wondered. Ladybug froze for a moment. “Ladybug, where’s Michael?” He asked. Ladybug had to dodge and move towards the entrance where Jeremy was.

 

“I don’t know where your friend is, but he’s probably safe if he’s not here worshipping her,” Ladybug explained.

 

“Yes, my pets! Please keep praising me! I’m the star of this show!” Mercutio cackled. “I’m here to support you guys as much as you here to support me!” Her ‘fans’ cheered even louder.

 

“Christine?” Jeremy’s jaw dropped. “Oh, no. This is my fault. I ignored her attempts to help me because I was on my man-period. I akumatized her.” He looked down.

 

“Jeremy, just go for now. If you see Cat Noir, tell him that I could use a parrier. A yo-yo isn’t exactly a great weapon against a sword,” Ladybug told him. “Don’t feel guilty. If you weren’t trying to hurt her, she’ll understand when I save her.”

 

Jeremy ran off. Mercutio skulked closer and held up her sword from about seven feet away.

 

“What, you going to throw your sword?” Ladybug asked.

 

A beam of light fired from it. Ladybug spun his yo-yo in front of it and deflected it. 

 

“What the fuck? You’re like a broken version of Pearl from Steven Universe!”

 

“Dance for me, Ladybug! You can be the co-star of this show, or maybe the lead role if you give me your Miraculous!” Mercutio beamed. She kept firing beams and Ladybug had to either dodge or deflect. One of the beams hit a student recording everything, and they were brought under her control.

 

“If that hits me and Cat Noir doesn’t get here…” Ladybug realized. All the humor was gone from his system. He had to get serious or else he would be putting a lot of people at risk.

 

-

 

Jeremy heard so many screams. Instead of transforming, he found himself hiding in a corner.

 

What happened to him?

 

He said that he would protect other people, so why did he go back on his word? Because he made a few stupid mistakes? 

 

Fuck it. He wouldn’t be able to give the choker to anyone now, so he had to use it. Afterwards, he would find someone else to help Ladybug. 

 

“Plagg, claws out,” Jeremy demanded. A bright flash appeared and he dashed to Ladybug’s side.

 

A crowd of people were on Mercutio’s side, and they were cheering him on. He kept firing beams of light at Ladybug that occasionally hit a student trying to record the situation. The student would join Mercutio’s side.

 

Cat Noir took his pole and jumped forward by bending it back and launching himself. He tackled Mercutio and everyone backed off. They cheered on Mercutio still.

 

“Christine, you have to snap out of it!” He demanded. He pushed her arms down to the ground.

 

“I am not Christine. I am Mercutio! I will support my fans and friends even if people like you and Ladybug are against them!” Mercutio growled. She kicked him off.

 

Cat Noir took his pole and extended it. He stuck it in the ground, did a human flag, spun, and kicked Mercutio in the face. He knocked her through a trophy cabinet.

 

“Sorry I’m late. Won’t happen again,” Cat Noir promised.

 

“Those beams of light and those sword slashes will possess you. Don’t get hit!” Ladybug warned him.

 

Mercutio recovered even faster than before. The people cheered louder and she fired larger beams from her sword. 

 

“I think her fans are giving her strength!” Cat Noir realized. He slammed his pole against one of the beams and sent it flying elsewhere.

 

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug shouted. A hose appeared. “A hose? What am I supposed to do with this?” He murmured.

 

Cat Noir jumped in front of a beam and parried it. “Don’t get hit!” He shouted.

 

“Right, sorry. Thank you.” Ladybug spun his yo-yo in one hand. He looked around and the world went grey. His eyes landed on Cat Noir’s hand and all of the fans.

 

“Ladybug with all the hose?” Cat Noir quipped. Ladybug snorted.

 

“Use cataclysm on the hose when I throw it over there,” Ladybug whispered.

 

Mercutio charged them and the fans cheered louder. Ladybug chucked the hose and Cat Noir handed him his pole.

 

“Cataclysm!” Cat Noir yelled. His hand radiated dark energy. While the hose was overhead, he touched it and it turned into ashes. The people started to breathe them in and they started coughing.

 

Mercutio froze for a moment and Ladybug took the opportunity to whack her with Cat Noir’s pole. She went down and Ladybug wondered where the akuma could be.

 

“Maybe the sword?” Cat Noir suggested. Ladybug took his yo-yo and smacked it against the sword. Half of the blade broke off and the akuma flew out.

 

“Great job, Cat Noir,” Ladybug sighed. He opened up his yo-yo. “The akuma makes an exit! It’s time to disappear!” He spun his yo-yo around and with an arc of white light, caught the akuma. He opened up his yo-yo and a white butterfly flew out. “Seeya little butterfly,” Michael grinned.

 

Mercutio’s armor disappeared and Christine was on the floor, her hands on her head.

 

“You okay?” Cat Noir rushed to her.

 

Ladybug picked up the ashes of the hose. “Miraculous… ladybug?” He tried. The ashes flew up and exploded into millions of ladybugs. “Oh, good! This would be hard to explain to the public, otherwise!” 

 

Ladybug turned to do the handshake with Cat Noir, but his gaze was downcast. 

 

“I think this is the last time you’ll see me as Cat Noir. I’m going to give my choker to someone who can do the job better.” He clutched it with white knuckles.

 

“Hey, hey, hey,” Ladybug started. “You’re an excellent Cat Noir. While my initial impression wasn’t stellar, you totally turned the tides for me. For us. I doubt I would have succeeded without your help,” he promised. “I don’t know what’s going on your life, and I can’t know the details, but you can talk to me. Or your friends. I bet that they’ll listen. Just know that you’re a great teammate. We could both use a little practice and experience, but that’s okay because we’ll keep winning.”

 

Cat Noir broke out into a fit of chuckles. A few tears formed in his eyes. “But you do this so much better than I do.”

 

“Even if you only helped for one percent of the fight, that’s one percent I don’t have to worry about. And you do more than that,” Ladybug grinned.

 

“Like how much?” He asked seriously.

 

“Fifty percent, duh.” Ladybug rolled his eyes. It was more like 55-45, but he wasn’t going to say that to his insecure partner.

 

“Thank you. I’m here to serve, milord. If you ever need me, I’ll be there faster than a cheetah,” he said. Both of their Miraculouses started to beep.

 

“Got to go,” they both said at the same time. They did their high clap into low clap into foot pat. “Let’s go!” 

 

They dashed in different directions, smiles on their faces.

 

-

 

“Mercutio has failed Romeo and me!” Squip growled. “Ladybug and Cat Noir will slip up eventually. I swear that the curtain will set on them, once and for all! I will have their Miraculouses if it kills me!” The window closed on him once again.

 

-

 

“Christine! I heard the news and I’m so sorry and I did everything wrong and I’m such an idiot!” Jeremy rambled on.

 

“People were telling me that I was akumatized. I guess I overreacted a bit to not being able to help you. By the way, are you alright?” She fretted over him.

 

“You were just possessed by a criminal and you’re asking if I’m okay?” Jeremy’s voice broke a little.

 

“I was so worried about you. That's why I was akumatized. I don’t really remember, but I was promised that I can support everyone and get that support back. I think?” Christine explained.

 

“I’m okay, now. I was just going through some teen angst. It’s over now, so there’s no reason to worry about me,” Jeremy sighed.

 

“Hey, guys!” Jenna went up to them. “Christine, you’re okay right?”

 

“I am o-”

 

“Right, so anyway,” Jenna started. “I got the entire video, start to finish! It’s already on the LadyBlog! It’s gaining rapid popularity, and the message boards are insane! So many questions, fanart, fanfiction, and guesses have been posted!”

 

“Fanfiction?” Jeremy was about to throw up on Jenna.

 

“A lot of people think that Ladybug and Cat Noir get it on out of costume. Sometimes in costume. Ladybug usually tops, though,” she explained.

 

Jeremy would’ve been akumatized right then if he wasn’t wearing the choker. Ladybug was cool and all, but loving him? That was a fool’s dream. They were heroes who couldn’t know each other’s identities. It wouldn’t ever work.

 

Not that he wanted it to be that way, of course.

 

“I was thinking that it was a prank, saying that someone was akumatized. Then, when more people started screaming, I was like ‘THIS IS TOO REAL TO BE A PRANK!’ and I started screaming, too,” Michael said. “Christine, you okay?”

 

“I’m fine, Michael. No one’s hurt,” she insisted.

 

“Ladybug and Cat Noir came to save the day, then?” Michael sighed. “You doing alright, Jeremy?” He tilted his head.

 

“I’m fine. Just… dealing with the aftermath of akumatizing my best friend,” Jeremy partially-lied. He wasn’t sure how to deal with his growing feelings for Ladybug. He had never liked a boy before, so it was new, having a crush on someone of the same sex.

 

“Well, Jeremy, if you akumatized me, I would forgive you. People go through low points all the time. It shouldn’t be punished with magical possession, but I guess that’s the way things are, now,” Michael told him. 

 

“You think Ladybug and Cat Noir do, too?” Jenna interrupted.

 

“Definitely,” Michael and Jeremy said. “Jinx! Double jinx! Triple jinx!”

 

“Quadruple jinx!” Michael said just a bit faster. “Ha! I get a soda or you have to shut up!” 

 

“I’ll buy you a slushie, alright?” Jeremy chuckled. 

 

“My future husband better propose to me like that.” Michael was lowkey trying to drop hints. Jenna snorted and Christine giggled. Jeremy didn’t get it.

-

 

"I think you could've used the hose to tie them up," Tikki said.

 

"Oh my God, I'm mentally deficient!" Michael shouted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably referred to Ladybug as 'she' more than a few times so please point that out if you see my stupidity reflected in this fanfic.


	4. Tattletale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squip's newest victim has a desire for secrets, and the two animal-themed heroes may have their web of lies untangled if they're not careful...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *DEEP BREATH AS I RISE UP FROM THE NINTH CIRCLE OF HELL*
> 
> I AM SO SORRY I LOST INSPIRATION FOR THIS UNTIL LITERALLY TWO HOURS AGO AND I ACTUALLY FINISHED THIS CHAPTER SOMEHOW
> 
> This isn't spellchecked or grammar checked or even quality checked. So, like, I'm so sorry but I just really wanted to post this.
> 
> I'll try fixing it in the morning when my eyebags don't feel like weights on my face, but otherwise, enjoy!

“Ladybug, oh, Ladybug! Wherefore art thou, Ladybug!” Cat Noir shouted from his place on Star Hill.

 

“I am Ladybug because I woke up to a jewelry box.” Ladybug snuck behind him.

 

“Hey, same here!” Cat Noir grinned. He was about to comment on his last name, but he caught himself before doing so.

 

“Anyway, I have great news. The police station has trusted us to listen in on the radio in case something bad happens, so we don’t have to spend our patrols mindlessly searching,” he said.

 

“Oh, really? That’s so cool,” Cat Noir said. “I can get a few more cat-naps in!”

 

“Are there any more functions to our weapons besides a telephone and built-in radio?” Ladybug twisted his yo-yo around. “Also, your puns suck.”

 

“No. I think our weapons are really similar, but our powers differ completely. Which is a meow-velous thing.”

 

“God, that was just eldritch.”

 

Cat Noir shook his head. “It’s a cat-tastrophic thing that you’re insulting my masterful comedy.”

 

“I have Lucky Charm and you have Cataclysm.” Ladybug counted, ignoring his plights.

 

“I have night vision and you have your akuma catching white light,” Cat Noir droned on.

 

“And I have a yo-yo while you have a long stick,” the spotted hero deadpanned. “We sound really unthreatening on paper, don’t we?”

 

“I mean, we’re called Ladybug and Cat Noir. How threatening can we possibly sound? Besides, we’re not trying to seem threatening. Unless you have a domination kink or something?”

 

“Ew!” Ladybug threw his yo-yo. Cat Noir chuckled as he dodged it. “For your information, there’s only one guy I want to dominate,” he yelled before he shut his mouth. “Uh oh."

 

“You’re gay?” Cat Noir wondered.

 

“Is that a problem?” Ladybug questioned back.

 

“I’m bisexual. I don’t have a problem unless you think I’m bi for attention.”

 

“Of course not.”

 

Cat Noir and Ladybug stared at each other until they burst into laughter. Their social link just went up!

 

“Okay, I’m going home. I promised a friend that I’d come over tonight and I haven’t packed,” Ladybug said.

 

Cat Noir realized that Michael was coming over. He nearly panicked. “Oh, shit, I have to go, too!”

 

Ladybug swung around Star Hill and flung himself. He did a few flips in midair to show off. Cat Noir helicoptered over to a dark street nearby.

 

“Tikki, spots off,” Michael whispered when he was nearby 7-11.

 

“Plagg, claws in,” Jeremy sighed. He jogged home and thanked God that being Cat Noir was starting to reflect in his bodily strength. He could run, lift, and basically do anything physical in a completely better way. It was also giving him some muscles, so that was another small blessing.

 

A few minutes after Jeremy waited in his living room alone (his dad was still in Seattle), the doorbell rang. Jeremy opened the door and beamed when he saw his best friend with two slushies in hand.

 

“Oh, you wanted a slushie?” Michael tilted his head. “Sorry, I wanted to taste purple today.”

 

“That’s not a taste.” Jeremy swiped his blue drink.

 

“Says who?”

 

“Do you have synesthesia?”

 

“What?” Michael took a large _SLURP_ out of his drink.

 

“It’s a disease where your senses involuntarily overlap. Like being able to taste sound or something.”

 

“Whatever. I just want to get high,” Michael said. “Kind of a stressful day. Had to meet with an old friend.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Oh, just a big ol’ pussy. No one special.”

 

-

 

‘Ugh, guys. Do you see this bullshit?’ Jenna texted to the group chat. It was a Twitter post on why she was an ‘awful’ person quote unquote. That bitch Sarah from Chemistry was spreading shit about her and her blog, and what’s worse? People were eating it up.

 

‘It’s nothing but crap, Jenna’ Michael texted back first. He ran on little sleep anyway. Tikki gave him a worried look, but she remained hidden in his school bag. She also nagged about ‘don’t do drugs’, ‘don’t stay up so late’, ‘eat a healthy diet’, like, could Michael even do those things?

 

Duh, no!

 

‘They’re calling my LadyBlog trash even though I’ve gotten a personal interview from both Ladybug and Cat Noir’ her message read. Michael remembered that. It was hard to resist laughing since Jenna knew him in real life, and the fact that no one could recognize him out of costume was funny as fuck.

 

But wait, shit, was Jenna going to lose it over this?

 

‘That’s it. Fuck them.’ was all she texted. Michael tried calling her, but no luck. It went straight to voicemail.

 

And since when did Jenna either let her phone die or let it turn off?

 

“Hey, Michael? Whereareyagoi-” Jeremy slurred. His hair stuck up all over the place.

 

“I think Jenna’s going to get akumatized!” Why did Michael call it akumatized? Squipped worked better since that was the name of the villain that was controlling everyone. Then again, Tikki called it akumatized, so that had to be an official trademark logo or something. Anyway, he had a really bad feeling about Jenna getting transformed. Considering their day and age, anyone could get manipulated.

 

And teenagers were the prime holders of negative emotions.

 

“Wait, what?” Jeremy’s eyes snapped open. “Go hide in your house, Michael. We need to barricade ourselves!” He would normally ask Michael to stay close, but it would be hard to explain his sudden disappearance.

 

“Good plan!” Michael agreed, you know, like a liar. He ran a block away into a dark alley and quietly transformed. Jeremy did the same as soon as Michael left, so he got to Jenna’s house first.

 

-

 

“People are envious of this girl for her success? We just can’t have that anymore, now can we?” Squip chuckled. “Fly, my akuma!”

 

Jenna sat at the edge of her bed, her thumbs flying at a fast rate. She was going to destroy their social lives if it was the last thing she would do. She hated them.

 

And they would get what was coming to them. No one insulted Jenna and got away with it. And that was a promise, not a threat.

 

The butterfly covered in miasma landed on her phone.

 

“Hello, Tattletale!” Squip chirped. “You want to have the best Ladyblog around, correct?”

 

“More than anything,” Jenna replied.

 

“You can have that. You can blog about the downfall of Ladybug and Cat Noir _and_ get their identities revealed by giving me their miraculouses! That will surely make you the top blog!” Squip promised.

 

Jenna’s gaze softened for a moment. “But if they’re gone, what will be the point of my blog?” She asked.

 

“Think about it this way; no one will be able to have a Ladyblog after you’re done with those two. Not only will yours be the best, no one will ever compete with you again!” Squip tried.

 

A voice in the back of Jenna’s mind told her that it was wrong to do this. That, she needed to stop.

 

Tattletale, however, took that voice and muted it. She muted it, crushed it, and let her abyss-like mind send it to oblivion. “Make my blog the best, and those miraculouses will be yours..” A bubbly purple aura festered around Jenna as her grin widened. A large white blast threw the roof off her house and pulverized it. Anyone within a ten mile radius could probably see the suddenly unleashed power.

 

In the front yard of Jenna’s house, Cat Noir spun his staff in hand, held it behind his back, and outstretched his other arm like a kung-fu master in a B-List movie. The sun burned overhead, contrary to the cold feeling Cat Noir had in the back of his neck.

 

What was he dealing with?

 

A figure clad in white jumped out of Jenna’s window. She was wearing a bodysuit that would fit a comic book heroine. It had the letters TT on her chest and her hair looked like a bush with how it was raised up. Not only that, but it was golden. A black mask covered her red eyes and she held a phone in her left hand.

 

“Hello, Cat Noir. I see you’re wearing that choker of yours. Would you mind handing it over?” She asked sweetly.

 

“Not a chance,” Jeremy promised.

 

Jenna frowned and swiped up on her phone. A thin white beam shot towards Jeremy like a bullet. He deflected it to the ground and smirked.

 

“What’ll happen if that hits me?”

 

“Stand still and find out!” Tattletale shouted. She rapid-fired the white strips at Cat Noir and he continued to weave out of their way. If that didn’t work, one hit from his staff would get rid of it.

 

News reporters and students filed in to see what was going on. Cat Noir cursed under his breath and wondered where Ladybug could possibly be.

 

-

 

“Hey, mom. Yes, I’m coming home, now. Yes, I know there’s an akuma,” Michael said while swinging to his front door step. He de-transformed and knocked on the door.

 

“Oh, there you are! Quick, come inside! Your mother was about to pass out!” Maria sighed.

 

“Can I go to my room, please?” Michael was cursing ten thousand times in his head.

 

“Make sure you lock the doors and windows, okay?” Maria murmured. “I’d prefer it if you stayed where I could see you, but I guess it’s fine…”

 

“I will. I’m not dumb. Also, I’m probably going to be sleeping or doing homework or maybe watching the fight. May I have privacy, please?” He requested.

 

“Sure, sure. I’m just glad you’re out of danger,” Maria hugged him. Michael hugged back and sighed guiltily.

 

Michael ran up to his room. “Tikki, spots on! Again!” He huffed. Michael donned the outfit and opened his window. “Alley-oop! Let’s get this done quick!”

-

 

“He-yah!” Tattletale landed the strip on a random reporter.

 

“I sang in the talent show when I was younger, and it was an awful rendition of Twist and Shout that I want everyone to forget!” He shouted, nice and loud for everyone to hear.

 

Another one hit Chloe.

 

“I called a friend a slut as a joke and got angry when they took offense to that since I thought she knew I was joking!”

 

“But did you apologize?”

 

“No, I got angrier at her!”

 

“Jesus Christ,” Cat Noir realized what her power was. “You make people reveal their secrets!”

 

“Yes, and you’re going to give me your miraculous or I’ll make you tell everyone who you really are! Your family will be in danger if I have to force the answer out of you!” Tattletale taunted. She then hit Madeline.

 

“I’m really jealous of Chloe Valentine and every success she has!”

 

“Clear out, everyone!” Cat Noir huffed. He slammed his staff against a blast and it rebounded into Rich.

 

“I own two toys for myself!"

 

“Sorry!” Cat Noir winced. He sighed and charged Tattletale. Dodging was more of a chore, so he decided to just bring this to an end as fast as possible.

 

“Nobody can stop the truth, Cat Noir! Not even superheroes! Tell me your identity!” Tattletale cackled.

 

“How about this? Cataclysm!” Cat Noir’s hand vibrated with black energy. He slammed it on the grass and rough, dirty hills appeared that he could use as cover. Tattletale jumped up and couldn’t see Cat Noir. She grimaced and turned back to the crowd.

 

“I’m gay for my best friend, Richard!” Jake confessed.

 

“I’m a kleptomaniac with anxiety!” Brooke yelled.

 

“I’ve run over multiple people with my truck!” A news reporter mentioned.

 

“I peed on a kid in third grade and had to change schools!” Christine whimpered.

 

“Oh, fuck,” Cat Noir jumped up and threw his staff. He missed and had to dodge back undercover as Tattletale tried to get him to fess up.

 

“You can’t stop me, Cat Noir! That’s the gospel truth for you!”

 

“Have a little bit of truth from me, lady!” A ladybug-themed yoyo clocked Tattletale in the head. She was sent crashing through a dirt pile as Ladybug back flipped next to Cat Noir.

 

“What took you so long, bug face? She was trying to get everyone to spill tea!”

 

“Overprotective parents. You know how it is. Also, what the hell do you mean?” Ladybug snorted.

 

“Can’t say I do,” Cat Noir admitted. “And I mean that those white things she fires out makes people reveal their darkest secrets. Safe to say that we shouldn’t get hit.”

 

“Good thinking,” Ladybug agreed. He twirled his yo-yo in hand and waited for Tattletale to get up. “The only akuma I can think of is in that phone.”

 

“What are you guys doing? Do you want your darkest secrets revealed on camera?” Cat Noir shouted at the crowd. A lot of them screamed and ran away. Some stayed, however. Maybe they thought that they would get an identity reveal?

 

Ladybug handed over Cat Noir’s staff and grinned. “You ready?”

 

“As ready as I’ll ever be. I don’t have a lot of time, so just Lucky Charm it!”

 

“I agree. Lucky Charm!” Ladybug summoned. A slingshot appeared in her hands. “A slingshot? Without any ammo? What am I supposed to do with this?”

 

“That your catchphrase, now-woah!” Cat Noir tackled Ladybug away from a blast.

 

“Thanks!” Ladybug shot his legs up and got back to his feet through an unnecessary and complicated dance move of sort. In his mind, the coolness factor was worth it. He grabbed a few pebbles and fired them at Tattletale with surprising aim and efficiency. One of the pebbles met a white strip in midair and they dispersed.

 

“I like that new toy!” Cat Noir beamed. He decided to circle around and ambush Tattletale as Ladybug kept firing.

 

“Enough of this! Give me the truth!” Tattletale screeched. The sound was so loud that Ladybug wondered if his ears would blow out. A white strip was sent his way, but Cat Noir threw his staff again to counter it. Ladybug blinked twice and realized that Cat Noir was in mid-air.

 

He _jumped_ and threw his staff and would fall to the ground soon.

 

Now, some of the reporters may wonder ‘Why didn’t Ladybug just use the slingshot? Or his yo-yo?’ These were very valid questions.

 

The answer to that? He couldn’t think straight. He was focused on saving his partner’s identity over his. So, he ran and jumped.

 

“No!” They both shouted at the same time. Ladybug jumped forward as Cat Noir outstretched his arm towards the blast.

 

But in the end, one of them was going to get hit. Both heroes were protective of their identities, but they would put the other over themself.

 

And it was Ladybug who got hit.

 

He fell to the ground, but he took no damage. Ladybug stood up, and Cat Noir tried to cover his mouth. He was pushed aside.

 

“Tell me your identity, Ladybug! Your darkest secret!”

 

Ladybug took a deep breath and shouted to the world.

 

Not his identity, but his biggest secret.

 

“I’m in love with Jeremy Heere!”

 

Everyone went dead silent. Cat Noir blushed a little, Tattletale’s jaw dropped along with everyone else’s, and Squip had an evil grin frozen on his face.

 

There was only thing that was on everyone’s mind after the initial shock wore off.

 

“That was his biggest secret?” Cat Noir murmured. He felt oddly touched and relieved.

 

“That was my biggest secret?” Ladybug scoffed. “Works for me.” He sent his yo-yo at Tattletale who grabbed her phone tightly. Considering that the akumatization didn’t improve her physical strength by too much, Ladybug won that contest of endurance. He broke the phone in half and promptly caught the akuma that flew out of it. “No more evil-doing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize,” he said beforehand, albeit in a less-than-enthusiastic tone.

 

“This was the most anti-climactic fight, ever,” Cat Noir said. “Also, who’s this Jeremy?” He resisted the urge to unmask right then and there.

 

“That’s a conversation for another century,” Ladybug blushed. “Miraculous Ladybug!” He sent up his slingshot to the air. The bugs healed the ground, any damages that the environment received, and it reverted Jenna back to normal.

 

-

 

“Drat! Ladybug and Cat Noir have won this day, and his crush? Perhaps I could… no, that won’t work. I’ll think of a plan, for sure, but that definitely can’t work unless...” Squip muttered under his breath. “One way or another, I will get the truth. I will get those miraculouses! I will get what’s mine!”

 

-

 

A few days later, the Monday after the Tattletale fight.

 

“So, Jeremy, how does it feel? A superhero loves you, after all!” Jenna had her camera out.

 

“Jenna, come on. I already had three reporters try to talk to me today,” Jeremy flushed. No one cared about those other secrets that the civilians revealed. They only cared about Ladybug’s crush being more ‘sacred’ than his identity. The best explanation that was genuinely accepted was that endangering his loved one’s life was more important than his superhero identity.

 

Thank God, Michael thought. The real explanation and the most boring one was that his crush was just _that_ ridiculous. He had it for a long time, after all.

 

Meanwhile, Jeremy was dealing. He could find solace in knowing that he was protecting others by taking the attention to himself. Some pretty mortifying things got revealed, after all.

 

“Oh, Michael, hey!” Jeremy ran past Jenna to meet up with his friend. “We haven’t talked much since Tattletale stopped by. Where were you?”

 

Michael had so many replies to that. The first one that came to mind was: ‘Oh, I was just lamenting over the fact that my superhero persona just admitted my super gay as fuck feelings for you! Get it? Super crush? Fuck, I love you and I’m Ladybug!’

 

“I was just hanging in my room, smoking, and playing video games,” Michael said instead. “I let the hermit persona take over me.”

 

“I see. You don’t care about Ladybug being… in love with me, do you? Everyone looks at me differently now. For some reason, Dustin Kropp gave me a highfive. The resident homophobe of the century.”

 

“I guess Ladybug and Cat Noir hold a lot of sway over people. Even against deep-rooted homophobes,” Michael shrugged.

 

“Well, I actually like the attention, somewhat,” Jeremy confessed.

 

“Really? I thought you would want these guys off your back! Unless you’re not the Jeremy Heere that I’ve known for seventeen years,” Michael squawked.

 

“Well, first of all, no one bullies me anymore. Or you, by proxy. Two, I heard some bad shit got revealed, so I’m glad that those people aren’t being berated for having their secrets revealed. If it takes me getting interviewed every two seconds to protect others, it’ll be worth it,” Jeremy explained.

 

Michael’s gay heart just burst into flames. Holy fucking shit, Jeremy was the best guy ever. Like, how could any boy be so genuinely cute and sweet and amazing?

 

“I’ll leave you to it. No, that’s a lie, actually. I’ll be ‘Heere’ to stop that fame from going to your head, Mr. Love Interest,” Michael grinned.

 

“Too late! I’m going to crash and burn as a celebrity by overdosing on crystal meth in my bathtub!” Jeremy promised.

 

“‘Heere’ lies Jeremy Heere. His furry heart just couldn’t take the eight kilograms of cocaine,” Michael read out in a solemn tone.

 

Secretly, though? Jeremy had a third reason.

 

Frankly, he wanted Ladybug to clap his bisexual ass because _holy shit_ he was hot and awesome and brave and Jeremy respected him _so fucking much_. He knew that their identities were important, but knowing Ladybug’s feelings made hiding his identity as Cat Noir a thousand times harder.

 

Also, Ladybug said earlier that there was one guy he wanted to dominate.

 

And Lord knew he wanted Ladybug to tie him up and use him.

 

-

 

“Hey, bugaboo! Whaddaya want? You’re interrupting my bootleg of Cats!” Cat Noir booed him.

 

“Sorry. I just want to talk about what happened with that last fight.” Ladybug stared off into the distance.

 

“What about it?” Cat Noir resisted the smirk.

 

“It’s just… I don’t want him to get hurt, is all. What if Squip takes advantage of him?” He asked.

 

Cat Noir’s smile dropped. “I think that this Jeremy kid will be smart enough to avoid danger.”

 

“But what if he doesn’t?” Ladybug sighed.

 

“Hey, hey,” Cat Noir was a bit panicked. Since when did Ladybug let anything bother him? “I’m sure Jeremy is handling this his own way. Have a little faith in your big gay crush.”

 

“Shut up,” Ladybug flushed. “And you sure?”

 

“I’m positive. I think he’ll avoid danger and handle the news reporters that I’ve seen on every news channel, like, ever,” Cat Noir reassured him. Well, ‘Jeremy’ was definitely not about to avoid danger, but at least he wasn’t going to be a civilian.

 

“I mean, he looks stressed in those interviews. Could you imagine being constantly asked if you knew our identities? If he had those same feelings? It must be hard on his conscious,” Ladybug facepalmed.

 

“Why don’t you ask him yourself? Go check up on him later,” Cat Noir suggested.

 

“I’m not sure he wants to see me.”

 

“I disagree.”

 

“What makes you so sure?”

 

“Sixth sense.”

 

“Really, now?” Ladybug was still skeptical.

 

“Just trust your partner, okay? I’m not joking, for once. Just talk things out with him later in the night, okay?” Cat Noir took his pole and spun it a few times. “I gotta pounce. Those mice won’t die on their own.”

 

“Hey.” Ladybug stopped him. He looked down to the base of the hill. “Thanks. I’m not used to dropping my guard around people when I’m like this, but you made me feel better. So… thank you. Any guy and girl will be lucky to have you.” He turned around and fell backwards down. In mid-air, he twisted, flipped, and swung like Spiderman.

 

He sat at the top of Star Hill and watched Ladybug’s red blur disappear. Thanks to Cat Noir’s stupidity, he forgot two things. Only one of those inconsistencies got realized later.

 

Number one, he never told Ladybug Jeremy’s address.

 

Number two, he was supposed to see Ladybug as Jeremy. And he was so act to surprised.

 

So, when Cat Noir shouted ‘Oh, shit!’ at the top of his lungs, it was pretty obvious which of the two inconsistencies he forgot.

 

-

 

Ladybug was actually knocking on the front door. Why wasn’t Jeremy answering the door at… twelve at night?

 

“Oh, Goddamnit, it’s better to just go,” Ladybug groaned.

 

“Ladybug?” Jeremy piped up. He was in his civilian clothes and he held a candy bar in his hand.

 

“Uh, Jeremy…” Ladybug muttered. “Shit, I forgot everything I was supposed to say.”

 

“No, no, wait!” Jeremy realized Ladybug was about to Spiderman away. “Please, come inside. We should talk.”

 

Ladybug looked distressed at that and frankly, Jeremy couldn’t blame him. He unlocked the door and made two cups of tea.

 

“Oh, thank you,” Ladybug said. He took a few quick sips after blowing on it.

 

“So… should I try starting?” Jeremy suggested.

 

“No. I want to begin with an apology.” Ladybug took a deep breath. “I can’t imagine how much of a bother this is for you.”

 

“It’s annoying to have news reporters outside my house, but it’s really okay,” Jeremy promised. “I’m flattered, to be honest. And also, I think me being hounded by interviewers and classmates is better than my classmates getting made fun of for their worst secrets. You did hear some of those awful things, didn’t you?”

 

“Yeah, I did. I’m still sorry for that unnecessary attention,” Ladybug frowned.

 

“Don’t be. It’s made me resident cool guy of the school, and no one bullies me anymore. I’m just surprised that you like me since we only met that one time,” Jeremy chuckled. “Unless… you want to tell me that we do know each other?”

 

“Nothing like that, Jeremy. There’s something else,” Michael lied. “You see… I… You… Okay. Let me start over with something simple.” Michael stopped for a few seconds. “You once got akumatized.”

 

“What?” Jeremy nearly spilled his tea. “When? How? What? Why?”

 

“Wait, wait, wait, let me explain.” Ladybug went over and leaned down to help him calm down.

 

Ladybug recited the events that occurred around the Harbinger of Lightning. He said that one of his abilities let him hone in on Jeremy’s home like a sixth sense of sorts, and for some reason, he believed that lie. Maybe he just chalked it up to some super intuition?

 

“Oh… I’m sorry for losing control like that,” Jeremy looked down. Ladybug pulled him into a quick hug.

 

“Having negative emotions is a part of life. It’s Squip’s fault, not yours,” Ladybug promised. “When the akuma disappeared, I saw your face and you looked sad. I decided that seeing you happy would be preferable, and I fell in love, hard. That’s a really simple way of putting it, and it sounds weird.”

 

Jeremy laughed. “So… that leads to my next question. Are you interested in starting a relationship?”

 

“It’s… If I’m going to be in a relationship with someone, I would have to tell them my identity.”

 

“And you can’t do that,” Jeremy sighed.

 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just couldn’t stand the idea of putting you in danger. Hell, you could be Cat Noir and I would actually be doubly scared,” Ladybug admitted. “I wouldn’t want my boyfriend fighting aside me where he could get hurt or die. Also, whether you know my identity or not, you’ll be targeted by people and akumas alike.”

 

“I get it, Ladybug. As much as I want to get to know you, I understand that duty comes first.” Jeremy looked ready to cry. Ladybug’s heart was about to snap in two. “Just… just promise me that you’ll come back safely. And, if one day, you want to tell me everything, you know where to find me. I’ll just continue to pine, okay?”

 

“I’ll pine, too. Don’t worry. Trust me, if I could be in a relationship with a great guy like you, we would be fucking on that couch by now,” Ladybug chirped. Jeremy turned bright red and the ladybug hero laughed so hard that he probably could’ve woken up the neighborhood. He eventually laughed too, but his blush didn’t disappear.

 

“Thank you for protecting this city,” Jeremy said before Ladybug left. “I know some of the people are shitty and only use you guys for publicity and don’t care about how you feel and all that crap, but… thank you.”

 

“You’re very much welcome, Jeremy. Bug Lord, out.” He winked before swinging out his window.

 

Jeremy watched and fiddled with his own choker. He went upstairs to bed and rubbed his face with a tissue so hard that his skin hurt.

 

“Crap.” Jeremy finally decided on an appropriate reaction to his night before passing out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some pining for the soul >:)


	5. Verve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A movie hangout gone wrong in more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally going to be 10 chapters, but I could probably make it 15 or so.

“Oh, shit, I’m going to be late!” Michael shouted. Thank God no one was home, otherwise his moms would’ve given him an earful.

 

“Don’t forget your wallet!” Tikki piped up.

 

“Thank you, Tikki!” Michael grinned. “We’re going to see the new Deadpool together, and I’m really excited,” he said.

 

“You really love Jeremy, huh?” Tikki smiled coyly.

 

“I really love Jeremy,” Michael agreed. “Friendwise or more-than-friend-wise, I really appreciate the time I have with him now. It’s a bit sad that I sometimes have to cancel plans to go save the town,” he sighed.

 

“Jeremy hasn’t ever gotten mad at you. He’s a really nice boy,” Tikki poked his cheek. “But you’re a nicer boy. I like having you as Ladybug! It’s not often I get paired with a great male Ladybug.”

 

“Aw, thanks! Oh, and here’s your cookie,” Michael reached into the box of frosted sugar cookies and handed it to Tikki. “Try not to get too many crumbs in my pocket.”

 

“You know me. I eat all of it!” Tikki flew into his hoodie and feasted.

 

-

 

“Hey, Plagg. Have you seen my cardigan?” Jeremy asked.

 

“Why do you wear that ugly thing?”

 

“It’s cold outside, and I think they’re comfortable,” he huffed. 

 

“I’ll tell you for some camembert-” Jeremy stuck out a piece of the cheese. “Oh, come to papa! It’s in the pile of clothes over there!” Plagg said absentmindedly. Jeremy grinned and pulled it out.

 

“Knock on wood, but I hope nothing happens today. A break every once in a while never kills anyone.”

 

“Complacency killed the cat.”

 

“Curiosity, Plagg. And satisfaction brought it back. Besides, my nine lives are keeping me energized!” Jeremy beamed. He let Plagg run into his pocket and Jeremy sprinted outside. Being Cat Noir for two months gave him a passive boost to strength, stamina, and honestly? Every single possible statistic. He once beat Jake in a race, and that genuinely shocked him. It was like having the world’s best cheat code!

 

-

 

“Hey, Jeremy! You ready to see the movie?” Michael bounced on his heels after he high-fived him.

 

“Yeah, I invited the rest of the gang.”

 

Michael stopped bouncing.

 

“Oh, okay,” Michael nodded. “You’re going to have to sit next to me so I can make shitty memes the entire time.”

 

“Duh, yeah,” Jeremy agreed. He inwardly sighed with relief. Michael watched two cars pull up. The other two guys were in the first one, and the three popular girls were in the other car.

 

“Where’s Christine?” Michael asked.

 

“I dunno. I’ll text her-”

 

“Am I la-a-a-a-a-a-ate?” Christine was running in a pair of crocs. She nearly tripped a few times as she panted for breath and stopped next to Jeremy and Michael. “Hey~!”

 

“Christine, you okay?” Jeremy chuckled.

 

“I’m fine. I’m fine. How are you, Michael?” She coughed.

 

“I’m alright, you? I’m not sure,” he snorted.

 

“Yeah, I’m not doing great,” Christine agreed.

 

“Are we going to watch a movie or…?” Jake trailed off.

 

Everyone concurred and cheered as they went inside the theatre.

 

Soon after the movie was over, Jake, Michael, and the girls had to use the bathroom.

 

“Hey, Michael?” Jake asked as they were washing their hands.

 

“Yeah?” He turned to the taller man.

 

“Can I ask for a favor?”

 

“As long as it doesn’t involve me losing my pants in a public bathroom,” Michael deadpanned.

 

“Ha, no thanks, but it’s about Jeremy.”

 

Michael’s jealousy alarms banged in his head. “What?” He asked hesitantly.

 

“Can you get him to offer me a rematch?” Jake asked. “The race?”

 

“What? That’s it?” Michael chuckled. “Wait, why can’t you ask him yourself?”

 

“He’s always around other people. There’s never a good time. And I think I just underestimated him. I had an off day, and my throat was-”

 

“Woah, slow down,” Michael shook his head. “I think you lost, Jake. And you’re finding excuses since you rarely lose.”

 

“Just… Can you ask him for me?” Jake huffed. “There’s no way I lost on purpose.”

 

“Just admit that Jeremy’s faster with his long ass legs!”

 

“He doesn’t do sports though! How the Hell does he do that? Did he cheat or something, the little rat?”

 

Michael’s eyes widened a bit. “I think you’re a sore loser, Jake. You’re my friend, but only I get to call Jeremy names like that. And I don’t do it behind his back. You can ask him if he wants, but you lost. Get over it,” he hissed. Michael stormed outside after getting himself into a calmer disposition.

 

“Dammit… Dammit!” Jake murmured. “I never lose. How did I… Fuck!”

 

-

 

The window in Squip’s lair opened. “An athlete disheartened by the idea that a nerdy kid could beat him in a race? Such frustrating and upsetting thoughts makes him the prime target for my akuma!” He chuckled. Squip took a butterfly, covered it in darkness, and let it fly.

  
-

 

A few minutes of brooding later, Jake saw the butterfly and widened his eyes. “Oh, no.” The butterfly flew into one of the basketball rings his dad got for him.

 

“G-Get out of my head!” Jake yelled. The purple butterfly outline appeared on his face.

 

“Oh, Verve, why do you resist? If you submit, you can get anything you want.”

 

“I don’t like using other people to win, though!” Jake insisted.

 

“But Verve, accepting help is a part of life. You think the best athletes get as far as they do alone?”

 

“No…”

 

“Then how is this different? Just accept my help, Verve,” Squip said.

 

“I… I… I want help. Teach me how to win, starting with beating up Michael. He talked down to me…” Jake growled. The miasma littered his body and transformed him.

 

-

 

“Where’s Jake at?” Jeremy turned to Rich.

 

“Hell if I know. Mell and him went to the bathroom.” Rich turned to Michael.

 

“Jake must be looking for something in the theatre?” Michael shrugged. What was taking him so long? He highly doubted that the athlete was crying or something ridiculous like that over what Michael said, so what?

 

Michael didn’t get a chance to think as a blur grabbed him and skidded onto the road. Everyone else gasped and Michael looked up.

 

“Michael Mell. Shame on you, acting like the way you did!” The man talked in a baby voice.

 

“Jake?” Chloe shouted.

 

“What the-?” Jenna took out her phone.

 

“Michael!” Jeremy called out. 

 

“Jeremy?” Michael’s eyes widened before the stranger created a whirring sound with his boots and sped off. Being in his grasp was like being on the world’s most unstable rollercoaster. Exhilarating in some ways, terrifying in every way.

 

“Oh, no. I think that was an akuma!” Brooke realized.

 

“Shit, what happened to Jake? What did he mean by Michael acting ‘like the way he did’, like what?” Rich turned to Jeremy.

 

“Like you said, Hell if I know. But we need to find a way to tell Ladybug and Cat Noir,” Jeremy said. “Jenna, post about it on your blog.”

 

“Already did.”

 

“Let’s split up and tell people there’s an akuma around,” Jeremy told everyone. He ran off into an alley far away from everyone else and let Plagg fly out of his pocket.

 

“You gonna play hero to your friend?” Plagg teased.

 

“This is serious! Michael must’ve pissed off Jake, somehow. I won’t let him hurt my best friend. Plagg, claws out!”

 

-

 

“Ugh,” Michael coughed out. He found himself at his high school track. He was on his hands and knees in the middle of the turf field that the track field surrounded.

 

“Get up,” Verve kicked him in the face. Michael groaned and thought he was going to spit out a tooth. 

 

The akumatized villain was in a suit similar to Green Lantern’s minus the insignia on his chest. The green was purple instead and there were butterfly symbols scattered across his chest. He wore a black visor and had bright blue hair. Finally, he had pure white shoes with red, yellow, and green lights on them. 

 

“I can’t get… up if you keep hitting me,” Michael spat out. Shit, shit, shit, he couldn’t transform like this.

 

“First of all, we’re going to have a race where winner takes all. Then, we’re going to find Jeremy and make him have a race with me. The more you resist me, the more I will break him,” Verve growled.

 

Needless to say that Michael didn’t like the sound of that.

 

“Hey, mind if this cat joins the race?” Cat Noir shouted from the bleachers. 

 

“You can have your race if you get me their miraculouses. If you don’t get them, I will take away your powers!” Squip growled. Verve nodded and the whirring sound built up from before. Michael squinted and watched the blur take off.

 

“Watch out!” Michael shouted. Cat Noir gasped and jumped to the top of the bleachers. Verve’s fist was in his previous position not a moment later.

 

“Michael, you have to help!”

 

“Tikki, I can’t. If I try escaping, he’ll catch me and kick my ass…”

 

“Help as Ladybug, Michael. You’re still Ladybug without the suit,” Tikki insisted. Cat Noir twirled his staff and smacked one of the sitting areas and made it vibrate. It threw Verve off-balance for a moment and it threw off his trajectory. With a smirk on his face, he jumped towards Michael. Then, Verve came back and tackled him mid-air.

 

“I’m nothing without the suit. I can’t fight if I’m like… this.” He scoffed.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m sure Ladybug will-” Cat Noir backed up towards Michael and took a super-speed punch to the face. It knocked him across the turf and left an obvious streak mark.

 

“Cat Noir!” Michael called out. He didn’t get up. “Cat Noir…”

 

“I’ll finish him…” Verve muttered.

 

“No!” Michael jumped and grabbed onto his foot. “How about we have a race? Winner takes all, right?” He stood up and limped a bit towards the track. His plan better work. He had to buy enough time for Cat Noir.

 

Verve grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to the track. Michael looked to the right, then left, then up, and then back at Verve. He was really doing this, huh? Cat Noir was still down, too.

 

“You ready?” Verve growled. Michael gulped, but he nodded.

 

“Go!” Michael told him.

 

Michael started running and Jake took off with that same whirring sound from before. Except when Jake got to the finish line in eight point five seconds, Michael was gone.

 

You see, Michael booked it out of the track and hid behind a tree.

 

“Tikki, spots on!” Michael hissed. He donned the costume and sighed in relief. He threw his yo-yo to the top of the tree and swung back towards the track.

 

“Michael tricked me! I will  _ kill _ him!” Verve promised. Ladybug shivered and swirled his yo-yo in his hands.

 

“This guy’s got issues, huh?” Cat Noir asked, his staff spinning in his hands, too. “Those rings hurt when he punches me!”

 

“Rings?” Ladybug asked.

 

“Yeah, he has those sports rings or whatever? I think that-” Cat Noir’s face lit up. 

 

“You don’t think-”

 

They both turned to Verve and Ladybug decided to attack first. Verve twisted out of the way and charged the two of them. Ladybug decided to jump while Cat Noir went to sweep his legs. Verve jumped out of the way of his staff and grabbed Ladybug’s leg.

 

“Woah!” Verve sent him hurtling towards Cat Noir. He dodged and Ladybug groaned from where he made an indent on the track.

 

“I’m sick of this guy,” Ladybug said.

 

“He doesn’t just have super speed. He’s aware of everything that’s going on around him like we’re in slow motion,” Cat Noir muttered.

 

“Then let’s slow him down…” Ladybug whispered. “Lucky Charm!” His yo-yo spun into the air and released a few ladybugs. It created a water bottle.

 

“You going to refresh him?” Cat Noir quipped.

 

“A water bottle that’s… full? What am I supposed to do with this?” Ladybug asked.

 

“Think of something fast since he’s coming our way!” Cat Noir grabbed Ladybug and used his staff to put them up in the air. Verve ran into it and the two heroes couldn’t help but laugh a little.

 

Ladybug let his eyes dart around. His eyes landed on Verve’s shoes, Cat Noir’s hand, and his pole.

 

“I got a plan. You ready to give us another home run?”

 

“Vermillion Kraken?” He tilted his head.

 

“Instead of me, it’s this and the target is his shoes,” Ladybug explained.

 

“Ah, I see! Purr-fect idea, milord.”

 

Cat Noir jumped down and Verve danced out of the way of Cat Noir’s claw swipe. Ladybug backflipped and did a few back handsprings on the track like the showoff he was.

 

“Batter up, bitches!” Ladybug chucked the water bottle full speed at Verve. He ducked and laughed at her. Cat Noir spun around and slammed his pole into it. It exploded all over his shoes and short-circuited them.

 

“What did you do?” Verve growled. He ripped off the shoes and his entire body started whirring. Whenever he moved, his body started smoking and steaming.

 

“What are you doing?” Cat Noir asked. “Cataclysm!” Cat Noir shouted. His hand vibrated with the dark energies that swirled around his hand.

 

Verve charged him once again and Cat Noir grabbed his hand. It burned off part of his costume along with the ring, and he fell down to the ground, steam still all over his body.

 

“The akuma makes an exit, and it’s time to disappear!” Ladybug opened his yo-yo and activated his last power. He twisted it around, caught the akuma, and let it go free as a butterfly. “Seeya, little butterfly.” He walked over to the open water bottle and threw it up in the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”

 

Any damages done to their bodies, the field, the track, or the bleachers disappeared. The miasma around Jake dispersed, too.

 

-

 

“Not again! Verve has failed me,” Squip scowled. “Ladybug and Cat Noir may have been quick on their feet this time, but in a race for power, I will win. I’m going to win for the two of them, even if it kills me,” he promised.

 

-

 

High Five into Low Five into foot tap. “Let’s go!” They both shouted.

 

“What happened?” Jake rubbed his head.

 

“Your friend, Michael, told me about your race with Jeremy,” Ladybug said. Cat Noir was behind Ladybug, but his ears perked up at the mention of his name.

 

“I just hate losing, you know? I was really jealous of Jeremy, and when Michael told me to get over it, I just lost it,” Jake admitted.

 

“I’m sure if you try asking him for a rematch, he’ll accept it. But no matter the results, you have to be gracious and thankful that he accepted your challenge,” Ladybug scolded. His headphones beeped and so did Cat Noir’s choker.

 

“Time to take a cat nap. This fight was hard,” Cat Noir jumped away and used his pole to get up to harder-to-reach buildings. Ladybug threw his yo-yo and used the school to propel himself back home.

 

As soon as Jeremy got home, he got a text from Jake.

 

‘Rematch race at the high school track?’

 

He groaned and Plagg cackled like a banshee.

 

-

 

“Okay, that fight was so cool,” Jenna said. “I could barely keep up. There were so many blurs and oh, right, Michael, I’m glad you’re okay.”

 

“Thanks, Jenna,” Michael said sarcastically. 

 

She got a sideways view of the fight, so she saw Michael runoff, but it looked like Ladybug came from a slightly different direction. Then again, Michael could probably run into a room, come out as Ladybug, and have everyone ask ‘Where did Michael go?’ without anyone ever figuring it out. How was everyone so dense, honestly? Not that he was complaining.

 

“Let’s focus on the race of the century, okay?” Christine beamed. “Jake needs to focus, after all.”

 

Jeremy was shyly leaning on one foot and the other. Jake was stretching out every possible body part.

 

“Alright, one lap around the track!” Chloe shouted. “Winner is fastest out of basically the entire school.”

 

“Good luck, Jake,” Jeremy chuckled sheepishly.

 

“You, too.”

 

Michael, Christine, and Brooke were cheering on Jeremy. Jenna, Rich, and Chloe were cheering on Jake.

 

“On your marks! Get set! Go!” Chloe dropped her arm and the two of them took the fuck off. Jake was running full speed while Jeremy was more jogging.

 

“Kick his ass, Jere!” Michael whooped. He was a bit concerned about Jeremy’s lack of speed, but he realized that he was keeping some of his energy. Right before Jeremy completed the first quarter, he went in. Jeremy steadily gained on Jake, who was still running at the same speed. 

 

“Come on, Jakey D! Don’t let tall-ass win!”

 

“Jeremy! You can do it! The power of the play is in you!” 

 

“Jerry’s got this!”

 

“I’m just choosing Jake because he’s the practical vote.”

 

“Look, I’m just recording this.”

 

About a minute later, Jake and Jeremy were neck-and-neck. Michael could admit that maybe Jake underestimated Jeremy the first time around, but he had faith in his best friend.

 

“Long strides with long legs! Use the power of Sonic, Flash, Roadrunner, Quicksilver, or something!” Michael shouted at him. Jeremy had an excited grin on his face while Jake’s face was completely serious. 

 

At the finish line, however, it looked to be a tie. Chloe and Christine were holding the long bandage-like thing and weren’t sure.

 

“Wait, I’ve got the video!” Jenna shouted. She played the video and everyone crowded around them. At the end, it looked like Jeremy’s chest touched it first. That was what everyone agreed on.

 

“I guess you win, squirt,” Jake sighed. “Good race, dude. You should definitely join track!”

 

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no,” Jeremy shook his head.

 

“You’re signing up for track.”

 

“Michael, help."

 

“I mean, Jake was the fastest in the school. I think you have a duty to your school to join track.”

 

“Michael, I meant help me, not Jake.”

 

Everyone laughed at Jeremy’s expense as Jake kept pestering him to join. Plagg, too.

 

-

 

“You did a great job, Michael,” Tikki chirped. Michael was staring at his dark ceiling in bed.

 

“I got really angry when he said he was going to hurt Jeremy,” Michael said. “I kind of resent him for it even if he was akumatized.”

 

“Jake would never do that. He wouldn’t hurt one of his friends if he was in a right state of mind. An akuma twists your desires and motivations and makes you do things you would never dream of,” Tikki said.

 

“But it was his voice. He was going to hurt him, and Goddammit, I’m so gay,” Michael chuckled.

 

“I think it’s sweet, how protective you are of him,” Tikki cooed.

 

“I just wish I could tell him everything. I’d rather pine safely than put him in danger, though,” Michael sighed.

 

“You’re doing the right thing, Michael. Don’t forget that. The miraculouses are dangerous in the wrong hands, and you’re doing your duty right. I promise that you’re doing it right.”

 

“Thank you, Tikki.” Michael closed his eyes and let out another sigh.

 

Protecting Jeremy was his top priority. Little did he know the opposite was true for Jeremy to Michael.


	6. Lilith - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inappropriate photos of a person are a fast way to get them angry. 
> 
> But maybe that's not such a good idea in today's day and age where the slightest negative emotion can spawn an akuma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is fire like I'm honestly so proud of it and I hope you guys find it interesting, too.

Jeremy didn’t mean to open the basement closet. It was just that he was looking for his old DS.

 

His dad said that going in that closet was begging to get stung by a wasp, but Jeremy was desperate. He looked around and a few books fell on his head.

 

“Son of a bitch!” Jeremy scoffed.

 

“You did that to yourself, after all!” Plagg shrugged.

 

“Shut up, Plague,” Jeremy rolled his eyes.

 

“Plague? That’s a new one. Not sure if I care for it.”

 

“Your name. It means ‘plague’, Plagg,” Jeremy explained. “I looked it up.”

 

“Oh, I forgot about the Internet. Well, that’s no concern to me. Keep looking for your PMS or whatever it’s called.”

 

Jeremy started choking on his spit. “DS! PMS is a girl thing!”

 

“What?” Plagg tilted his head.

 

“I’m not explaining it to you. Oh, cool, a brown leather book with weird symbols carved into it. Looks like a circle and a cross. Maybe it’ll pull a Danmachi and force a spell on me,” Jeremy muttered.

 

Plagg flew next to Jeremy and gasped.

 

“Oh my Kwami,” Plagg murmured. “Jeremy, do you know what this is?” His voice was unnaturally serious.

 

“A really old book?” Jeremy suggested.

 

“No, you nincompoop. It’s a spellbook,” Plagg hissed.

 

Jeremy opened it up and flipped through the pages. There was kanji or something, and a bunch of picture- wait a second.

 

“That’s Cat Noir. That’s Ladybug! And… there’s a fox. A bee. A butterfly. A peacock. And a turtle… what?” Jeremy flipped through each page.

 

“We have to get to Wang Fu. Now,” Plagg insisted.

 

“Who is Wang Fu? I’m sorry, Plagg, you can’t-”

 

“Jeremy, transform me, now! I’ll put the location in your GPS, but transform!” Plagg demanded. Jeremy blinked twice.

 

“Let’s make sure my dad doesn’t know I was down here. Plagg, claws out…”

 

-

 

Jeremy let Plagg fly out of his choker and he shuddered at the cold air that touched his skin. Being Cat Noir gave him good thermal protection, but not as Jeremy. 

 

“An… apothecary? W.F. Apothecary? Plagg, what’s this about? Can you tell me?” Jeremy whispered. He flew into Jeremy’s pocket and the brunet sighed.

 

Jeremy knocked a few times. A few minutes passed, and Plagg flew out.

 

“Let me try.” Plagg took a deep breath and flew inside the door. He unlocked it and Jeremy stared at him in disbelief.

 

“Plagg, you’re scaring me more with every second."

 

“Just come on, you literal pussy.”

 

Jeremy wondered if this was breaking and entering. He stared at the empty road, the early sun’s light hitting every other house, and then at the lack of people.

 

The lack of witnesses definitely did  _ not _ make Jeremy look suspicious as he entered.

 

Whatever this place was, it was nice. Chinese symbols like the yin-yang circle appeared everywhere and lots of scriptures filled the place. Jeremy was sure he saw a painting of the chakras. Of course, he only knew about those due to his Naruto phase. Lots of wooden beams covered the windows and in the next room, there was a man in a hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts sitting criss-cross-applesauce.

 

“That’s…” Jeremy recognized that man.

 

“Greetings, Cat Noir,” he said without opening his eyes. 

 

“How do you know who I am?” Jeremy gasped.

 

“You just told me.”

 

Jeremy blinked twice and froze.

 

“No, I’m only joking,” Master Fu chuckled. He stood up and used his cane to walk over to Jeremy.

 

“Master Fu, I know you said to never bring Jeremy here, ha-ha, but this was an emergency,” Plagg said. “Show him.”

 

“I found this book in my dad’s closet.” Jeremy handed it to him. “Plagg went completely serious and it was strange.”

 

“This is… the spellbook of the Miraculous!” Master Fu realized.

 

“You say spellbook, but what does that mean? And, wait, how are you related to all of this?” Jeremy accused.

 

“Jeremy Heere, I would like to introduce your unworthy self to Master Fu. The owner of the turtle Miraculous and the last guardian of the Miraculous, too!” Plagg flew next to his head.

 

“Owner… turtle? Guardian? Wha?” Jeremy stuttered. “Wait, you’re the guy who I helped up! That one night!” Jeremy shouted.

 

“Indeed I am. It showed me that you were worthy to be Cat Noir. I gave you the choker, and I also gave Ladybug his headphones.”

 

Jeremy’s face made an ‘o’ shape. “Okay, then, tell me this: there are other Miraculouses?”

 

“Indeed there are. You see, a long time ago, I was a trainee at an institute that trained guardians of the Miraculouses. Then…” Master Fu hesitated. “After a long while of training, I committed a fatal error. It destroyed the institute, the people, and worst of all, lost two of the miraculouses and this book. Until now.”

 

“Then what’s in the book?” Jeremy pointed.

 

“You see, Jeremy. The power of creation and destruction, Ladybug and Cat Noir, are the most powerful of the seven miraculouses. I lost the peacock and butterfly miraculouses. Squip has the butterfly, but the peacock has been missing for a long time,” he sighed. Jeremy didn't comment on how he ignored his question.

 

“Who are the other three?” Jeremy murmured.

 

“Me,” a small voice flew out. It was a turtle, and it looked similar to Plagg.

 

“Hey, Wayzz. Old shell breaking your back?” Plagg teased.

 

“Plagg, stop that. You know I don’t like being teased,” Wayzz grumbled.

 

“This is my Kwami, Wayzz. He transforms me into a turtle-themed hero,” Master Fu said.

 

“Hello, Wayzz,” Jeremy waved.

 

“Hello, Jeremy. I’ve heard many things about you. You and Ladybug do a good job of protecting the city,” he chirped.

 

“Thank you.” Jeremy rubbed the back of his head.

 

“Nah, don’t inflate the kid’s ego. He doesn’t need it.” Plagg shook his head.

 

“My ego is at an all time low, thanks.” Jeremy rolled his eyes.

 

“You’re funny, Jeremy,” Master Fu said. “And to answer your question, the fox miraculous and bee miraculous are currently in my possession.”

 

“Why not give them out?” Jeremy tilted his head. “Wouldn’t more heroes make defending Montclair a breeze?”

 

“Ah, but you see, more miraculouses out there means more power that Squip can collect. If he gets anymore powers, he may be too dangerous to handle, even for you two,” he countered. “I lost two miraculouses, Jeremy. I can’t risk losing more. Besides, I have faith in you two.”

 

“I see. So, finally, and most importantly, what’s in the spellbook exactly?”

 

“More powers,” Master Fu grinned.

 

“More powers?” Jeremy whistled.

 

“Kwamis can’t read this book. Only trained guardians can,” Plagg explained. 

 

“Recipes to strengthen the miraculous exist in this book. Being able to use these recipes should come in handy in a pinch. It will take a while, but I’m sure I will figure it out,” Master Fu nodded. “You did very well to bring him here, Plagg. Thank you."

 

“Yeah, yeah. It was whatever.”

 

“Wait, Master Fu, I just realized… this book was in my dad’s closet. You said that the miraculouses were stolen by…” Jeremy trailed off.

 

“Most troubling, indeed. This does insinuate that your father is-”

 

“Don’t say it,” Jeremy cut him off. “My dad wouldn’t ever do that.”

 

“Jeremy, only one person has stolen the miraculouses and the spellbook. Finding this book in your father’s possession does make it seem like that he is the one who has been terrorizing Montclair,” Master Fu said, his calm tone never quavering.

 

“No. It’s a coincidence. Maybe he’s holding onto it for a friend.” Jeremy stood up.

 

“Jeremy, get your head out of your-"

 

“Shut up, Plagg,” Jeremy growled. “You have no right to judge me. My dad is not Squip. He can’t be. He is not a supervillain! That’s unbelievable. He was once a pantless man who just picked up a job as a CEO. He is not a thief. He is not a bad person. He’s not…” tears pooled in his eyes.

 

“Jeremy-”

 

“Look, Master Fu. It was nice seeing you again, but I think I’ve overstayed my welcome.”

 

Jeremy stormed out. Plagg stayed behind for a moment.

 

“Master Fu… he’s not well, honestly,” Plagg admitted.

 

“Tell me, Plagg. Do you eat the cheese before it smells?” 

 

“What? No.” Plagg stuck out his tongue in disgust.

 

“Jeremy is not ready to handle a possible truth. He’s not ready for the emotional impact that his father could be hurting people. That’s why you need a more gentle touch.”

 

“None of the Cat Noirs were ever super sensitive. Why did you choose him?” Plagg wondered.

 

“That sensitivity led him to help me and to help others when it counts. Tell me, has he ever failed to step in when he was needed?”

 

“No, of course not-”

 

“Then I can trust that you can understand my decision. As far as Cat Noirs go, he’s a bit outstanding.”

 

“He does feed my Camembert addiction, and he is fun to mess with when he isn’t brooding like an angsty teenager…” Plagg shrugged. “Maybe I was a bit too quick to judge, but just a little.”

 

Master Fu hummed. “Go back to your holder, Plagg.”

 

“I’m hungry, so sure.”

 

-

 

When Jeremy got home, his dad was waiting by the basement door.

 

“Hey, sport,” he said.

 

“Uh, hey,” Jeremy replied.

 

“I have a question. Did you go downstairs and go inside the closet I told you not to go into?” He asked with a surprising coldness.

 

It was obviously rhetorical, so Jeremy decided to grin and bear it. Well, more like look down and bear it.

 

“I did. I was looking for an old console…”

 

Mr. Heere sighed. “What did I tell you about not going in there?”

 

“Not to…”

 

“Now, my next question. Why did you take that book?”

 

Jeremy froze. “A book?”

 

“Jeremy, don’t play dumb. Why did you take the book?”

 

“I… I just got curious, okay?”

 

“No, it’s not okay, actually,” his dad scowled. “That book is one of the last things your mother owned that she left here.”

 

“Why would you even want something she left here?” Jeremy asked. “She left us!”

 

“I’m still angry at her, but looking at the book and just staring at it reminds me of happier times, Jeremy. I want the book back.”

 

“I… I lent it to a friend. He saw the Ladybug stuff, and he thought it was cool. I didn’t-”

 

“Get me back that book. Until then, you’re grounded. No phone, no going out-”

 

“Dad!” Jeremy widened his eyes. “It was an accident, I’m sorry. How was I supposed to know that-”

 

“Go to your room, Jeremy.”

 

The iciness made Jeremy’s skin crawl and his toes curl. This was fucking bullshit. It wasn’t fair. He stormed up to his room and slammed the door behind him.

 

“Why would he want that  _ bitch’s _ book? I would have burned it if it wasn’t important. He certainly acts like a supervil-” Jeremy started before he shut his mouth in realization. He was going to call Michael, but he realized he left his phone downstairs. And he definitely wasn’t getting that back.

 

Plagg came in, about to say something somewhat nice, but then he saw Jeremy in a ball on his bed.

 

“He’s not… but… he just… it’s not…” Jeremy muttered to himself. “This isn’t right.”

 

Jeremy thought he was collapsing. Oh, God, he couldn’t call for help. He was by himself.

 

“Plagg…” Jeremy whispered.

 

Unless...

 

“Yeah?” Plagg asked without any bite.

 

“Claws out, please.”

 

-

 

“Hey, Tikki, I’m in the mood for some early morning brooding!” Michael stretched out on his chair. He was smoking a joint and sighing constantly.

 

“Why? Because you’re starting to freeze up when you talk to your best friend?” Tikki mocked him.

 

“Ah, shaddup,” Michael huffed. 

 

“You really shouldn’t be smoking. I know using my powers dilutes the effects, but-”

 

Michael steadily tuned Tikki out. When she harped on him for smoking, his ears hurt. He played a Bob Marley song and let the smoke fly out into the crisp air.

 

Meanwhile, Cat Noir was flying through the air. He occasionally used his pole to get to higher-than-he-can-jump places or to just send him high up into the sky. 

 

Until he saw Michael smoking by himself.

 

“Oh, it’s you!” Cat Noir jumped onto Michael’s balcony.

 

“Wah, Cat Noir?” Michael blinked twice.

 

“The one and on- are you high?” He asked. That was just Michael.

 

“Yeah. Thanks for saving me from Verve, by the way,” Michael mentioned.

 

“Just doing my job. I’ll make sure to pass it onto Ladybug, too,” Cat Noir nodded. “Though, I did do a pretty good job of handling myself.”

 

Michael mocked him behind his back. Tikki giggled quietly. Then, he turned and Michael’s face went neutral.

 

“So how is Micha-Micha doing?” 

 

“Micha-Micha? That’s a new one,” he started giggling. Cat Noir beamed at his laughter, but he failed to realize that Michael was laughing because being high meant that that person found everything funny.

 

“Well? Answer my question.”

 

“Oh, I was just brooding because the love of my life doesn’t like me back. Hehe,” Michael answered.

 

“Really? Can I brood with you?” Cat Noir wondered.

 

“Ah, why?” He asked.

 

“Just family issues. I’ve got no one to talk since my dad took away my phone, and I had an… incident earlier. It only made everything worse,” Cat Noir sighed. 

 

“Aw. I’m sorry to hear that,” Michael frowned.

 

His eyes widened and those cat ears on his head twitched. “Oh, ugh, what am I doing?” Cat Noir facepalmed. “Ladybug said not to share personal stuff. And I’m just blathering onto a civilian I barely know. Sorry, just forget it. Glad you’re okay.” Cat Noir took his pole and began spinning it.

 

“Cat Noir, wait!” Michael tried grabbing onto his leg, but the clad-in-black hero escaped into the daylight. He turned back once and then jumped from roof-to-roof.

 

“You think that you should talk to him?” Tikki wondered.

 

“I don’t know what’s going on with him, and he probably feels worse now after talking to me because of his loyalty to… well, me,” Michael groaned. “Maybe I should talk to him after the next akuma fight… trying to go after him as Ladybug now would be too suspicious.”

 

“You sure?” Tikki tilted her head.

 

“I’m sure.”

 

“Maybe you should go see Jeremy. He might think it’s a bit weird that you’re not hanging out on a weekend,” Tikki suggested.

 

“Sure, I’ll call him,” Michael shrugged. His phone instantly went to voicemail.

 

“Well, that didn’t work."

 

“Thanks, Tikki.”

 

-

 

The rest of the weekend sped along, and Michael had no contact with Jeremy. He tried going over to his house, but no one answered the door. It was a bit weird.

 

So, when he saw Jeremy with a downcast look by his locker, Michael decided he had to save the day.

 

“Hey, dude!” Michael poked his cheek.

 

“Hey, Michael.”

 

“You doing okay? I didn’t get a peep from you all weekend!” Michael exclaimed.

 

“Heh, sorry. I got grounded. I lost something that…” Jeremy trailed off.

 

“Should we go somewhere else?” He whispered.

 

Jeremy nodded. Michael pulled him into the music room where no one went in for period 0 band. 

 

“Spill,” Michael demanded.

 

“I lost this stupid book with pictures that was, apparently, my mom’s, and my dad got pissed at me. Not only did I go in a closet that he banned me from, he grounded me from everything. Is that fair? I didn’t know that he kept her crap.” Jeremy crossed his arms.

 

“That doesn’t sound like your dad. Why would he want any of her shit? She left you guys. Wouldn’t he want to burn it?” Michael asked.

 

“I don’t know, it had a few drawings of like-"

 

The bell cut Jeremy off.

 

“Anyway, I have to find it or else I won’t be ungrounded. It’s so stupid,” Jeremy sighed.

 

“Do you want me to hel-”

 

“No!” Jeremy shouted. He covered his mouth and took a few defensive steps back. “Shit, uh… sorry. I have to go.”

 

“Hey, Jere-"

 

The door slammed shut before he even started to say his name.

 

“Looks like Cat Noir isn’t the only one having troubles, huh…” Tikki flew out next to Michael’s head.

 

“I really hate not being able to help my friends. What if Jeremy-” Michael’s blood ran cold. “What if Jeremy gets akumatized again? I’m not sure I could fight and hurt him again.”

 

“You would have to,” Tikki admitted. “You have to protect this town, Michael. But I have faith you can beat Squip. I have faith that you can have a happy ending. And you know why? It’s because you’re Ladybug who is simply the best!”

 

“No, do not singing that cheesy song,” Michael warned her.

 

“Miraculous! Simply the best! Up to the test when things go wrong!” Tikki’s squeaky voice rang out.

 

“Alright, I’m out.” Michael opened the door. Tikki flew into his hood and grinned clandestinely. 

 

-

 

“Hey, Brooke. You keeping warm up there?” Some boy asked.

 

“Excuse me?” Brooke tilted her head.

 

“Don’t let the milk go cold, okay?” Another girl shouted.

 

“What?” 

 

“Oh, hey, Brooke!” Madeline said in that ridiculous French accent.

 

“Yeah, what?” She crossed her arms.

 

“I just wanted to make sure that the girls were okay. They experienced some trauma last night,” Madeline referenced to Brooke’s… chest?

 

“Are you calling me a whore or something?” Brooke chuckled. “If that’s the case-”

 

“Oh, no, I was just referring to your wardrobe malfunction at Pinkberry yesterday. I really hope you’re okay,” Madeline pouted.

 

Brooke froze, but she didn’t let any emotion show on her face. “I don’t know what you mean, honestly. How does someone get a wardrobe malfunction at Pinkberry?” 

 

“You tell me.” Madeline held out her phone. Brooke remembered that her crop top fell a bit and she got ice cream on her shirt and…

 

Shit.

 

“Yeah. Guess someone likes passing out soft porn, huh?” Brooke wondered, her guard 100% up. “Well, thanks for checking up on the twins. They’re feeling great right now. Yours are kind of shy, though, aren’t they?” She pointed to her flat chest. Madeline clenched her fists, but she kept a sweet smile.

 

“I guess they are.”

 

“We both know it was an accident, but you’re really stupid if you think anything you say affects me. It’ll blow over. I can wait a few weeks,” Brooke shrugged.

 

“That’s an admirable attitude, Brooke. I really respect you, you know that?” Madeline nodded. 

 

“Thanks Madeline. Go give half the boys in our grade a french kiss for me, okay?Spread the herpes.”

 

Madeline laughed along with Brooke and sauntered off, seemingly unaffected.

 

“What the fuck did Madeline just say to you?” Chloe stepped up to her.

 

“Oh, no. Chloe, don’t blow up.” Brooke shook her head. It was kind of ironic that Brooke had to calm down Chloe for something that happened to the former.

 

“No, I will blow up. Madeline probably took that picture of you and that bitch is going to-"

 

“Chloe, it’s going to pass. I can always ask Jenna to leak something about that douchey fuckboy, Thomas or whatever. Please don’t make this a big deal. It’s not important.”

 

“But Brooke-”

 

“Chloe, don’t do anything, okay?” She was really getting impatient. But since when did Brooke ever get annoyed with Chloe? Madeline must’ve worn her down more than she thought.

 

Chloe just stared at Brooke in shock. The second most popular girl left for her math class, leaving Chloe standing next to her locker.

 

“Sorry, Brooke. I’m not letting Madeline say that bullshit,” Chloe growled, a dark look in her eyes.

 

-

 

A familiar butterfly-shaped window appeared and thousands of butterflies stormed across Squip’s room.

 

“A girl just wants to protect her friend from the harassment she’s receiving. Such frustration at the thought of being denied by her crush  _ and _ best friend? Perfect for my akuma.”

 

He covered the butterfly in the gross darkness and let it fly.

 

“Evilize her, my little akuma!”

 

-

 

Back to Chloe, she slammed her locker shut and fiddled with the sunglasses on top of her head. She always said that the worst haters tried to look the shiniest as a joke, but now, it frustrated her when she thought of people making fun of Brooke. Or, really, it frustrated her when anyone hated on Brooke. She was a nice person, so why?

 

“Fuck!” Chloe snapped the glasses in her hands. The akuma flew into the glasses and the purple butterfly outline appeared.

 

“Hello, Lilith. I’ve heard your plights loud and clear, and I’m here to help. If you’d like, I can give you the power needed to protect your friend. All you have to do is get me the Miraculouses of Ladybug and Cat Noir.”

 

“Sounds like a plan, Squip,” Chloe smirked. Her body transformed in the middle of the hallway.

 

About a minute later, Michael was just chilling in History, bored out of mind.

 

That was until something similar to an Air Raid siren went off across the school. It was a new alarm made specifically for akumas.

 

Michael and Jeremy had the same thought at the same time.

 

‘Shit. I better get out of here.’

 

They both ran out into the hallway and then into the most convenient spot. With Michael in the bathroom and Jeremy in the closet, Ladybug and Cat Noir were about to save the day.

 

…

 

From themselves?

 

Cat Noir jumped out first and dashed around the school. He maneuvered past the students and they only screamed louder as they saw him. The ran in the opposite direction of him.

 

“What?” Cat Noir asked.

 

“Oh, Cat Noir! How are you?” Ladybug asked.

 

-

 

“Michael, I don’t feel so great,” Tikki said.

 

“What does that mean? You’re a little Kwami thing, aren’t you? You're not an animal?” Michael asked.

 

-

 

“People are running from me,” Cat Noir said.

 

“Me too. Maybe it’s a fear toxin of sorts?” Ladybug suggested.

 

-

 

“You have to get me to an apothecary,” Tikki realized. “Go to the one on first street. Say I’m a cat…” Tikki coughed loudly. 

 

“This isn’t because of the weed, is it?”

 

“No, it’s just a rare sickness. It’s like a cold. I’m sorry for the bad timing,” Tikki murmured.

 

“Let’s take a drive, then.”

 

-

 

“So where’s the akuma?” Cat Noir spun the staff in his hands.

 

“Who knows? They could be anywhere,” Ladybug shrugged.

 

“Any idea who it is?”

 

“I think it’s some girl named Chloe Valentine. Heard of her?”

 

“I think she’s a part-time model,” Cat Noir replied. Shit, Chloe was akumatized? But what for? He thought Brooke would have gotten akumatized from those awful photos.

 

“Let’s stay together, alright?” Ladybug took his hand.

 

“Very flirtatious, milord.”

 

“It’s what I do best, kitty.” Ladybug tapped his bell.

 

-

 

Michael stepped on the gas. Tikki was laying against his seat like a carsick child. 

 

“W.F. Apothecary?” Michael asked.

 

“Yes…”

 

Michael ran inside with Tikki in his hands.

 

“Hello? Anyone in here?” Michael called out. His eyes darted around the Chinese-based decorations. It was awfully nice for a beaten up building.

 

“Yes, I am here. We’re all here relatively, too. But in this physical realm, only us two are here,” a man’s voice croaked out.

 

“Oh, hi, um, you see, my-” Michael blinked twice. “You’re the man I helped up a month or so ago.”

 

“Indeed I am, Michael Mell. It’s quite nice to see you again,” he chuckled.

 

“Oh, uh, anyway! My cat-” Michael handed Tikki over. “Is very sick. She is a rare breed from Thailand that’s abnormally small and colored like a Ladybug.”

 

“I see, I see. I’ll see what I can do,” Wang Fu said.

 

-

 

“This isn’t working!” Ladybug groaned. “Okay, we know the akuma isn’t outside, so what’s going on?”

 

“Maybe you should Lucky Charm it?” Cat Noir shrugged.

 

“Good idea!” Ladybug cleared her throat. “Lucky Charm!” The yo-yo spun high into the air and released a Ladybug-colored choker.

 

“A choker? What are you/am I supposed to do with this?” They asked at the same time.

 

“Oh… wait!” Ladybug snapped her fingers. “Cat Noir, do you trust me?”

 

“Yeah, I do, but why-”

 

“You need to take off your choker.”

 

-

 

A golden light washed over Tikki. The Kwami groaned and mewled in response. 

 

Michael tapped his foot against the ground. The pat-pat-pat-pat didn’t have a rhythm. It was purely cacophonic and interruptive, but Michael was stressed as fuck. Cat Noir could stall, sure, but Michael didn’t even know what they were up against. He fixed his glasses a few times and ran his hand through his hair and fiddled with his jacket and-’

 

“Your pet is okay, now. You’re a good owner,” Wang Fu said.

 

“Oh, really? Thank you, thank you, thank you! It was so good to see you!” Michael beamed. He grabbed Tikki and ran outside. 

 

“Nice seeing you too, Ladybug,” Wang Fu smirked.

 

“Michael, I am ready!” Tikki chirped when they got inside the alley.

 

“Tikki, spots on!” Michael whooped. He swung out of the alley and soared through the sky.

 

-

 

“You can’t come in. You know that right?” Cat Noir gripped the choker.

 

“I know. It’ll be good bait, though. Just stay safe, Cat Noir. Okay?” Ladybug turned around and held out her hand.

 

“Plagg, claws in,” Cat Noir murmured. He hesitantly took off the choker and put it in Ladybug’s hands. He then shut the door.

 

“Good, good! Lilith, you’re fantastic! With your powers, you can protect your friend Brooke and make her enemies pay!” Squip grinned wickedly.

 

Ladybug swung his yo-yo and spun it so fast that it looked like a red disc of sorts. “Do you know where the akuma is?” He asked a civilian.

 

“C-Cat Noir was wrecking lockers and stuff!” One of them said. “Wait, weren’t you just inside with him?”

 

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t get here until now. You’re saying you saw a Ladybug inside?” Ladybug asked.

 

The kid nodded. He ran inside, not an ounce of relaxation or joy in his poise.

 

“What the Hell? Am I dealing with multiple copies? A transformer? Illusions?” Ladybug asked.

 

“Oh, hey, Ladybug!” A familiar voice rang out.

 

“Brooke Lohst, right?” Ladybug squinted.

 

“That’s me. Do you know where my friend, Chloe, is? I’ve been worried about her since this whole thing started. I think she’s been akumatized,” Brooke admitted.

 

“Stay close to me, then. I’m not sure what powers this akuma has. Why do you think your friend was akumatized?”

 

“I had a slight wardrobe and Pinkberry malfunction at the same time. I pretended like I didn’t affect me, but Chloe wanted to go off on this girl, Madeline. I wish I could’ve calmed her down,” Brooke sighed.

 

“Yeah, me too… so do you want to explain that?” Ladybug pointed.

 

Another Brooke was standing down the hallway.

 

“What-” that Brooke said.

 

“The-” the first Brooke added.

 

“FUCK!” Ladybug groaned. “Where is Cat Noir? He should be in here!” He tried calling him.

 

No signal. Did that mean he was unconscious? Or was the Cat Noir that was here before an illusion, too and the real one- ugh, that thinking was going nowhere.

 

“Okay, so one of you is an akuma. We have that established,” Ladybug muttered. He forced the two Brookes to stand side-by-side. The second Brooke looked more terrified while the first one was fidgeting more. 

 

“What do you usually do in this situation, Ladybug?” First Brooke asked.

 

“I’ve seen this on TV. We have to ask questions! Come on, Ladybug. Ask us questions and we’ll prove that she’s the fake!” Second Brooke suggested.

 

“Fine, then we’ll do the questions. Come on, hit me! Not literally, please!” First Brooke agreed.

 

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug tried. The yo-yo spun, ladybugs flew out, and a clipboard with a piece of paper fell out. “A clipboard? With… oh, I know what to do with this!”

 

It was a paper with eleven questions. All based around Michael’s knowledge of Brooke. That was definitely convenient.

 

“Alright, first question: Who is your male best friend?” Ladybug pointed.

 

“Michael Mell. He’s such a sweetheart and I love him like the brother I never had,” second Brooke said.

 

Ladybug wanted her to be the real Brooke.

 

“Two: If Brooke is having an off day, what’s her favorite ice cream flavor?” Ladybug asked.

 

“Vanilla. It’s plain and simple and not complicated!” First Brooke shouted.

 

“Three: Back in fifth grade, what did Jenna spread about Brooke and Dustin?”

 

“That they were kissing on the box ball area!” They both shouted.

 

“Four: Celebrity crush?” Ladybug asked.

 

“Zac Efron when I’m feeling straight, but Camilla Cabello when I’m feeling like a lesbian,” first Brooke grinned.

 

“I can dig that. Five: What’s Michael’s most personal secret?” 

 

“That he wants to bang J-” second Brooke shut her mouth. “I can’t say it.”

 

“I can. He wants to sleep with Jeremy-oh, shit,” first Brooke realized.

 

“Moving on!” Ladybug huffed. He was running out of time. Should he skip to the last question? Or wait until their guards were further dropped? Goddamnit, what should he do? Not knowing which Brooke was which could prove fatal. Cat Noir was nowhere to be found, too.

 

“Wait, what’s this thing?” Second Brooke pulled out a chain from her pocket.

 

“That’s Cat Noir’s miraculous! Oh, shit!” First Brooke realized.

 

“What? How did it… You put it in my pocket!” Second Brooke argued.

 

“Give it to me then, if you’re the real Brooke!” Ladybug realized. 

 

She stuck out the chain. Ladybug grabbed it.

 

Then, second Brooke punched him in the face. Real Brooke grabbed the chain and saved it from falling.

 

“Don’t let her get away with Cat Noir’s choker!” Squip realized.

 

“Give it to me, Brooke,” Lilith said. Her appearance changed into Chloe.

 

However, the sunglasses on her head were inky black and her eyes were blood red. She was mostly naked with the exception of a thick snake wounded tightly around her nether regions. It obviously didn’t restrain her or limit her.

 

“Chloe, what are you doing?” Brooke widened her eyes in horror.

 

“I’m doing this for you! Those guys hurt you! I saw it in your eyes, and you wouldn’t let me help. Now, I’m taking the decision out of your hands,” Lilith explained.

 

“But I don’t want you to help like this! Why couldn’t we just get Jenna to spread something about Madeline… it’s better than having you getting akumatized over someone like me!”

 

“You mean everything to me, Brooke! Give me that choker! I’m your best friend. I thought you listened to me,” Lilith despaired.

 

“Well, maybe it’s time for me to make my own choices! I can’t have you covering my back all the time because what will happen if you’re gone one day! Like right now, you’re not Chloe Valentine! So that’s why I’m doing this!” Brooke snapped the choker on. Plagg flew out.

 

“No!” Lilith screeched.

 

“Say, Plagg, claws out for your powers!” Plagg rushed his speech. “Just do it, girly!”

 

Brooke’s eyes shut as she barely managed to squeak the words out.

 

“Plagg, claws out!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All y'all Miraculous Ladybug watchers didn't expect that one.


	7. Lilith - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug has a bit of a problem. He's about to transform back, and Brooke just became Cat Noir! Can she handle Lilith by herself?

“Brooke?” Ladybug asked. He went through a fucking _wall_ after that punch. He rubbed his head and stared at the girl in the Cat Noir costume.

 

The hallway was quiet besides the Air Rad siren still going off. The hallway actually flashed red with Ladybug’s confused face, Lilith’s pissed off demon-like look, and Brooke’s scared posture being highlighted with the alarm.

 

“Oh my God, I’m a superhero! What just happened? Why is this perfectly fitted around me? Does it make my ass look big? Oh, shi-” Brooke ducked down after Chloe jumped at her. She went sprawling across the floor and then she hissed at the cat girl.

 

“I know a certain someone whose dick would spring up over seeing a real life cat girl,” Ladybug chuckled. Right now, he had to focus since Cat Noir…

 

Wait, shit, Brooke was Cat Noir.

 

Brooke Lohst was Cat Noir. And she had no idea what the fuck she was doing.

 

“How do I fight? What the fuck was I thinking?” Brooke panicked.

 

They both knew that, then.

 

“Okay, Brooke, er, Cat Noir. Here’s the drill! I’m about to detransform, so I’m going to crash course you harder than John Green!”

 

“I don’t get it…”

 

“Do you not pay attention in-duck now!” Michael shot his yo-yo at Chloe and conked Lilith in the face. She was sent sprawling across the floor again. Guess direct fighting was an x-nay for her.

 

“Just explain to me how to fight!”

 

“Okay, look. You use the pole and it extends by your mental will. You can use it like a crowbar and you’ve watched videos on us, right?” Ladybug’s eyes darted from Brooke Noir to Lilith.

 

“You guys have special powers, right? Ones that make you transform back after using them?” Brooke asked.

 

“Don’t say the name of it. If you say Cataclysm, you’ll transform back in five minutes,” Ladybug warned.

 

“Got it. Cataclysm. What else?” Brooke’s hand vibrated with black energy. Ladybug sighed. 

 

“You have night vision and you can hit things a lot with a pole! Now, just take something off her body that could have an akuma in it!” Ladybug shouted. “Also, make sure that when you use that, it’s not a waste! You only get one shot!”

 

“What’s an akuma again?”

 

“Just smash something that’s a part of her body and wait for a purple butterfly to fly out!” Ladybug groaned. Brooke tried to spin the pole like Cat Noir does, but she failed and hit herself.

 

“This is pathetic, Ladybug. You’re about to transform back and you think Brooke is capable enough to handle a villain? Brooke, you need to listen-"

 

“No, you need to listen! You need to get out of my friend because she would never say such mean things to me! At least, not anymore!” Brooke Noir shouted. She leaped forward and smacked the pole against her side. Lilith groaned and scratched at Brooke’s chest. The girl winced, but she kicked Lilith in the stomach and started whaling on her.

 

“Okay, Brooke. You just do that. I’m going to be right back, so hold her off and don’t let her grab the choker!” Ladybug’s headphones beeped. He ran into the auditorium and let the costume sparkle off him.

 

“Tikki, you need to eat like you’ve never eaten before. Fucking go!” Michael shouted. He shoved a cookie in her mouth.

 

“Ah!” Brooke Noir slammed Lilith’s head against the wall. Lilith responded by biting Brooke’s arm and the hero-in-training jumped back.

 

“Not so tough, now, huh? Man, these powers feel good,” Brooke Noir admitted. She may or may not have used the Cataclysm on a random trophy by accident, but it was okay. Not really. She was going to transform back soon.

 

“If you bring Squip Cat Noir’s Miraculous, you can have more power than ever! We could be unstoppable, Brooke!” Lilith promised. “Just me and you. We can be together.”

 

“Chloe, I can’t… But we can be together. When you’re unakumatized. We can watch each other’s backs though I won’t have this choker anymore. It’ll be back in the real Cat Noir’s possession.” Brooke gripped the air in front of her chest.

 

“That won’t work for me! If I don’t bring Squip that choker, I’ll lose my power and you’ll get hurt again!” Lilith clawed at her. Brooke ducked and pushed her off with the pole.

 

“Chloe, don’t you see you’re hurting me now? Every second you’re like this, you’re hurting more! In a physical way, too! My back and head are pounding because you’re losing to Squip…” Brooke stared at her with a sad look in her eyes.

 

“I’m doing this for you!”

 

“How could this possibly be for me anymore?”

 

“Don’t listen to her, Lilith. She’s delusional with grief!” Squip insisted.

 

“The only thing I care about now is having my friend back. I’d rather get a bunch of nude photos of me leaked online than to see you destroying everything and yourself,” Brooke promised.

 

Lilith froze in place. “Brooke, I…”

 

“You aren’t Lilith. You’re Chloe Valentine. My best friend. As your best friend, please listen to me. Stop this. Fight back.” Brooke Noir cupped her cheek.

 

“I…” Lilith hesitated. “I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”

 

“You don’t have to. You’re okay, Chloe. I want us to walk out of here in normal civilian clothes, okay? Can we do that?” Brooke asked.

 

“I’m sorry. Maybe you can.” Lilith grabbed her by the choker. She tried ripping it off, but it was an over-the-head kind of thing. Plus, it was magic.

 

“Chloe, please… stop!” Brooke choked out. She gagged, changed color, and passed out. As Lilith pulled the choker off, the costume started dissipating.

 

That was when a Ladybug shaped Frisbee slammed into Lilith’s hand. The collar rested on top of Brooke’s head like a circlet, and her costume was mostly gone.

 

“Thank you, Brooke. You did so well,” Ladybug grinned. Lilith panicked and a fog formed over her body. Then, Jeremy stepped out of the smoke.

 

“Ladybug,” Jeremy’s voice whispered. “Please, take me. I want you and you only. You can keep hiding your identity, but I still want you.”

 

He looked exactly like Jeremy with minor yet key differences. He didn’t have any acne on his face, his hair was ruffled perfectly like a model’s, and his face was still more cute than sexy, but Michael’s heart did rush a little when he spoke like that.

 

It was a bit cliche, but Michael’s yo-yo arc slowed down a bit. He gulped as Jeremy sauntered over to him.

 

“I can be anyone you want me to be. I’ll be my geeky self or a cooler, newer version of me. Anything for you. You mean so much to me, Ladybug,” he promised.

 

“I saw you transform. You can’t trick me.”

 

“I can be whatever you want me to be. You want my body? It’s all yours. You can enjoy the fantasy like a lucid dream,” not-Jeremy suggested.

 

“C’mere,” Ladybug sat down. Jeremy grinned and sat in Michael’s lap.

 

Then, Lilith kissed him.

 

As not-Jeremy reached for his headphones, Ladybug snatched the sunglasses that remained on his head and snapped them with one hand.

 

“You, how?” He asked. He transformed back into Lilith who dissolved back into Chloe.

 

“It was the one thing your akuma forgot to change, I guess,” Ladybug murmured.

 

“What happened? Ugh, my head,” Chloe groaned.

 

“You got akumatized. Brooke helped save you…” Ladybug chuckled.

 

“Why am I in your lap?”

 

“You tried to seduce me as Jeremy.”

 

“Oh, okay. I’m guessing my akuma was a bit of a slut. And a bitch.”

 

“More of a bitch, but you were almost naked,” Ladybug admitted. “The akuma makes an exit, and it’s time to disappear!” Ladybug opened his yo-yo and activated his last power. He twisted it around, caught the akuma, and let it go free as a butterfly. “Seeya, little butterfly.” He grabbed the Frisbee and threw it up in the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”

 

The ladybugs cured the school of the damages. Brooke continued to lay down spread eagle style on the floor.

 

Chloe pursed her lips. She then turned around and saw Brooke on the floor. “Oh my God, Brooke? Wait, she’s Cat Noir?” The taller girl squawked.

 

“No, you actually tricked Cat Noir into giving you his choker, or you knocked him out or something. I’m not sure. But either way, Brooke took a big risk and put on the choker to save you. She did pretty alright.”

 

“Well, of course she did! Brooke is my hero, and she would be an awesome full-time Cat Noir. She’s got the heart for it,” Chloe gingerly pulled off the choker and Brooke transformed back.

 

“Maybe if there were more Miraculouses, she would get one. But right now, it’s just me and… oh no. Where is Cat Noir if his choker is gone? Does Squip know who he is?” Ladybug covered his mouth.

 

“No, or else we would’ve heard an announcement about it, right?” Chloe checked her Twitter and then Jenna’s blog. “I got nothing. Holy shit, Jeremy? What are you doing there? Are you okay?” Chloe picked up Brooke bridal style and ran over to him. He gave her a quick hug and sighed.

 

“I’m okay. Is that Cat Noir’s choker?” Jeremy pointed to Brooke’s head.

 

“Yeah. You’ll never believe this. Brooke transformed into Cat Noir to protect me when I went super psychopathic bitch mode,” Chloe told him.

 

“This akuma was a shapeshifter of sorts. She must have tricked Cat Noir somehow and got him to give her his choker,” Ladybug rationalized.

 

The gears in his head clicked in place. “Oh, okay. That must suck.”

 

“Well, I’m going to wait with Brooke outside until she wakes up. Heh, my best friend was a superhero for a few minutes. I’m a proud momma,” Chloe shrugged.

 

“You’re crushing so hard on Brooke. I think she likes you back, so you should totally go for it,” Jeremy grinned.

 

“Only if you go after your man over there,” Chloe spat out in response.

 

Chloe left with Brooke after handing over the choker and Jeremy walked up to Ladybug.

 

“Hi,” Jeremy said.

 

“Hey. Did you hear or see-”

 

“I saw her walk up to you as me. Do I kiss well?” Jeremy asked.

 

“It was strange. It was like kissing a cloud,” Ladybug explained. “I’m sorry that our interactions are so limited.” His Miraculous beeped.

 

“I wish I could kiss you. Will a hug at least do?” Jeremy asked. Ladybug grinned and pulled Jeremy into a tight squeeze.

 

“You feel familiar. Like home of sorts…” Jeremy mumbled. “Thank you. You’re doing a great job.”

 

“Don’t forget about Cat Noir. He’s a bit of a fleabag, but he does his job and does it right. He may not be too good at plans, but he’s good at stalling, at least. And being a friend,” Ladybug reminded him.

 

Jeremy blinked twice before laughing. “Got it. Well… this is goodbye for now. I hope you stop him soon, no matter who the Squip…” he froze. “I… I should go.”

 

“Jeremy?”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Ladybug tilted his head, and his Miraculous beeped again. He ran outside and returned to his civilian attire behind the school.

 

“What the heck is wrong with my boys, Tikki?” Michael groaned. “I’ve got to get this choker back to Cat Noir.”

 

“Unless you want Brooke to take over?” Tikki tried to lighten the mood. Michael chuckled.

 

“If there was a third Miraculous around, I would give it to her,” he said.

 

-

 

Jeremy was waiting in a hoodie on top of Star Hill. Ladybug swung up and found him sitting by himself.

 

“Cat Noir?”

 

“Yeah. Recognize my voice?”

 

“Yeah, here you go.”

 

“I’m really sorry about giving her my choker.” Jeremy put it back on and transformed. He took off the hoodie and sighed.

 

“Hey, it’s not your fault. She was a shapeshifter, so I don’t blame you. What matters it that we won at the end of the day,” Ladybug told him.

 

“I’m such an awful Cat Noir. I just… wish I wasn’t so dependent on you. I just wish I was better. You do this so well somehow, and I’m so jealous,” Cat Noir said.

 

“I do this well because your presence makes this easier. My Kwami told me that with every Ladybug out there, there’s always a Cat Noir watching their back. Besides, you’re kinda forced to depend on me since I can catch akumas,” he sighed. “Is there anything I can do to help?"

 

“I’m not sure. Maybe I should take up fencing or something,” Cat Noir chuckled.

 

Ladybug put an arm around Cat Noir and stared out at the city. “If you’re ever hurting so bad that you think it’ll kill you, I’ll unmask myself. Your life is more important than your identity. I trust you not to take advantage of this.”

 

Cat Noir’s eyes flicked to Ladybug’s. “Thank you. I’m glad that you’re my partner, Ladybug. Thank you.”

 

Ladybug grinned and ruffled his hair. “We’re in this together, right?”

 

“Right.”

 

-

 

“Hey, Wang Fu. I have a favor I need to ask,” Jeremy said.

 

“Asking is free,” Wang Fu told him.

 

“I need the book back. My dad grounded me and it’s making heroism a lot more difficult,” Jeremy explained. He tapped his fingers against his legs as he waited for a reply.

 

“I see. That is a problem. Well, like most problems, they have simple solutions. Pictures.” Wang Fu took out his phone. He took pictures of the book and Jeremy grinned.

 

“Thank you so much. Oh, crap, I never told Ladybug about the book!” Jeremy realized.

 

“No,” Wang Fu said.

 

That made Jeremy freeze. “No? What? Why not?”

 

“Jeremy, this information is critical. Other Miraculouses, this spellbook, my history? Ladybug is not ready,” Wang Fu said. “The more that gets out into the world, the more that is risked. I only told you all this because you recovered such an important artifact. I trust that you will keep this secret until the tea is boiled."

 

“Until the tea… is boiled? Like, until the time is right?”

 

“Exactly. It’s not the right time for Ladybug to know. For now, just keep doing your job,” Wang Fu handed him the boo. “And good luck.”

 

“You’re saying that to the personification of bad luck?” Jeremy quipped. Wang Fu chuckled and shooed him away.

 

“I think I need a thirty hour nap,” Plagg said. “Being Cat Noir with that girl was weird.”

 

“That’s a coma, Plagg.”

 

“So be it.”

 

Jeremy snorted and poked Plagg’s cheek. “I’ll give you some nice Camembert when we get home.”

 

When Jeremy was gone, Wayzz appeared and sat on Wang Fu’s shoulder. “Do you think you’ll have to go back out there one day?”

 

“I’ve tried transforming, Wayzz. My almost two hundred year old body isn’t going to work with the Miraculous. I fear that the fox or bee will have to be put out there one day soon,” Wang Fu sighed.

 

“I have f-faith in the two of them. I don’t like the idea of more Miraculous holders out there,” Wayzz murmured.

 

“Perhaps our pendulums will swing the other way on that idea. Maybe not soon, but sometime in the future, I feel as if Ladybug and Cat Noir will need the assistance.”

 

-

 

“Dad? I got the book back. It’s going to be in the kitchen, so… can I have my phone back?” Jeremy asked. His dad was sipping coffee absentmindedly.

 

The secret hero didn’t expect him to stand and pull him into a hug.

 

“I’m really sorry. You didn’t deserve your punishment. I was just being bitter and cranky,” he said rapidly. Jeremy visibly relaxed against him and hugged back.

 

“I forgive you. But can I ask why you have that book?” Jeremy faced him.

 

“Your mother… she had a fascination with superheroes. When she saw this book and couldn’t read it, she would often kick the cover. It was really funny. Just having this book reminds me of happy times,” his dad expounded. “But I think we can make some happy times of our own. Like you said, she left us, right? It can just be us and that can be okay.”

 

Jeremy nodded and let out a shuddering breath. “Sounds good. I do need to catch up on my missed messages, though.”

 

His dad let out a barking laugh and lightly shoved him. Jeremy went to his room and called Brooke, first. She picked up on the first ring.

 

“Hey, Jeremy! You never call… anyone!” She shouted.

 

“How are you feeling? You looked really pale when I saw you passed out.”

 

“I’m alright. It was cool being Cat Noir for a few minutes. I felt like I could fly or something. It did get me a few bruises, though. Not my cup of tea. Oh, and Chloe’s just in the bathroom. She’s been apologizing a lot and I’m getting a bit sick of it, but I’m doing perfectly fine,” Brooke admitted.

 

“That’s good. I was really worried about you. I watched you fight for a bit as Cat Noir, actually. You did a good job of whacking her,” Jeremy chuckled.

 

“I accidentally wasted Cat Noir’s special power on a trophy and all I did was beat Chloe with a pole. Unfortunately, my attempts at getting through to her were blocked.”

 

“I think it’s like that with all akumas. I don’t think you can break Squip’s control until you get rid of the akuma,” Jeremy replied.

 

“Well, now I know. I’ll just start breaking people’s shit if I ever find myself as Cat Noir ever again,” Brooke chuckled.

 

“Just stick to being a Queen Bee in our school, okay?”

 

“Good idea, actually. Being Cat Noir chipped my nail! You know how hard I’ve worked on-”

 

“Okay, I’m hanging up, now.”

 

“Bye, Jerry!”

 

Jeremy snorted and fell back on his bed.

 

Brooke had a good heart. He wasn’t sure if he could risk putting on the choker if he wasn’t the actual Cat Noir. That took some guts.

 

Without any reason to, his thoughts settled onto Ladybug. Warm, trusting Ladybug. How could Wang Fu ask him to not tell him about the book? It was really unfair considering they were a team.

 

Jeremy sat up and got out his homework. Work could take his mind off the dilemma. He decided that running from his problems like a scaredy-cat was easier than facing them. Besides, it wasn’t like he could go up to Ladybug and say-

 

“I’m hiding something from you, but I can’t tell you. Later!”

 

How dumb was that? Jeremy rolled his eyes and scribbled down a few math equations. Math was his only problem right now, so he really needed to focus on just that. Just math. Jeremy was smart with math, stupid with love… and trust, for that matter. So, he should stick to what he was good at. Just clear his brain and stare at fractions. That was all he had to do.

 

He couldn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I torture Jeremy so much I should really give Michael a turn.


	8. Naga

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you're working on a school project with a friend, there comes that awful feeling that you're not doing enough. That feeling can lead to some very negative emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bruh I'm spewing out these chapters like crazy and I'm honestly desperate for the Style Queen episode in English dub like fam where is it.

“Oh, shit! I’m going to be late!” Jeremy sped out of bed. He had ten minutes to get to school. He could use Plagg to get there, but he still needed to  _ eat _ and be  _ hygienic _ .

 

Ugh. Annoying.

 

“Hey, dad! Bye, dad!” Jeremy grabbed a piece of cooked toast that was waiting for him and shoved it in his mouth like an anime protagonist. He grabbed his bag and went behind his house.

 

“You know, talking with toast in your mouth won’t make you anymore attractive,” Plagg told him.

 

“Flahg, flaws bout!”

 

“Oh, here we go agaaaaaaaaaain!”

 

As Cat Noir, he wolfed down his toast in midair and nearly choked on it. It was fine. It was definitely fine. Not really, but Jeremy made it to school in time. He burst through the door, ignored the questions he got about Ladybug, and ducked over to Brooke.

 

“Hey, Brooke!” Jeremy waved her over. “Help me,” he said in a quieter voice.

 

“Hey, Jeremy. Wassup?” She asked.

 

“Oh, Jeremy! So, I wanted to ask about you and Ladybug. Are you aware of  _ this _ photo?” Jenna shoved her phone in his face. Jeremy inwardly screamed.

 

“It’s us… talking?” Jeremy blinked twice.

 

“Oh, wait. This!” Jenna showed him. It was Ladybug kissing akumatized Chloe who was Jeremy at the time.

 

“That wasn’t me, I swear!” Jeremy shook his head.

 

“Yeah, I know. I’ll tell the Ladyblog fans that in a few days,” Jenna promised.

 

Jeremy wondered if Jenna cared more about her blog or the fact that Jeremy could actually get hurt by this. He didn’t want to ask.

 

“Explain this hug, too,” Jenna said.

 

“Oh, that was me and Ladybug-” Jeremy admitted before clamping his mouth shut. “Uh…”

 

“Great! Thanks!” Jenna sauntered off.

 

“Well, that was a cluster fuck,” Brooke said. Plagg nodded along in Jeremy’s cardigan pocket. He slapped it and told her it was a very annoying bug.

 

“Thanks, Brooke,” Jeremy rolled his eyes. He said before that he kinda liked the new attention, but now it was getting ridiculous. People were asking him to meet Ladybug and he had to explain over and over that it wasn’t like that. That, they couldn’t be together because his identity was top secret and dating him could blow that cover. Jenna’s perpetuating rumors were really not helping.

 

“Let’s go to History. Mr. Tarly isn’t keen on superhero talk in class, so you might get a short respite there,” Brooke suggested. Jeremy sighed and followed Brooke in the class.

 

“So, Jeremy, how is Ladybug in bed?” Madeline asked.

 

Not even five seconds later, Jeremy got that mortifying question.

 

“Once again, I don’t know,” Jeremy muttered. “The akuma wasn’t me. It was Chloe in disguise.”

 

“Sure.” She nodded along in fake understanding. Jeremy went to his seat, his arms crossed and legs wound together like a toy soldier’s.

 

Brooke patted his back and sat next to him. They were the only two people out of the squad that was in that class, so it only made sense that they partnered up on everything. Jeremy admitted that Brooke wasn’t the smartest schoolwise, but she tried.

 

So when they got a 82 on their project, Brooke and Jeremy groaned.

 

“I even had Jenna check it over!” Brooke facepalmed. 

 

“Eighty two isn’t the worst thing ever. He said eighty four was the highest grade in this class, so we’re a part of the higher average,” Jeremy told her. His grade rested somewhere between ninety and a hundred in this class, so one lower than usual project grade wouldn’t kill him. Brooke rested in the low eighties, however.

 

“Sorry for dragging you down, though. You’re really smart,” Brooke sighed. Jeremy patted her back.

 

“I like working with you, though. I’d rather have fun on the project and get a lower grade than be forced to do all the work and get a higher grade,” Jeremy said.

 

“Bah, I’m just not good at History. All my other grades are high eighties. It’s just annoying that this is my worst class,” Brooke huffed.

 

“You want to ask him for extra credit?” Jeremy suggested.

 

“Do you really want to work on extra credit with me?” Brooke cringed. Jeremy nodded supportively. 

 

They asked and it turned out they could do work on an essay together about a previous unit. Jeremy suggested Columbus while Brooke wanted to do the American Revolution.

 

“I know more about Columbus than the American Revolution. On my first essay about Columbus, I focused on the positive aspects. Listing off the negative impacts off his landing is going to be a breeze,” Jeremy told her.

 

“Okay. Then, I’ll just work really hard, then. I still have my notes on it.”

 

“You sure you don’t just want me to work on it? I don’t have a lot of work tonight and I’m good at writing essays,” Jeremy offered. 

 

“But Jeremy-”

 

“It’s really fine, Brooke. You can just owe me a favor or something. Or maybe check it over? I don’t know. I’m not used to working on an essay with other people,” he explained.

 

“Um…”

 

“Oh, class is over. Later Brooke. See you at lunch!”

 

Jeremy gave her a warm smile as everyone filed out.

 

“Yeah, it’s fine…” Brooke muttered guiltily.

 

-

 

The familiar butterfly window appeared. Squip stood in the center of the room with a staff in hand.

 

“Yet another teen ravaged by feelings of guilt. She wants to help her friend out, but she feels too stupid to do so. Even when she directly offers help, people brush her off when it comes to school. Such easy prey for my akuma.”

 

He used his power to coat a butterfly in darkness. 

 

“Fly, my akuma! Evilize her!”

 

-

 

Brooke fiddled with the golden brooch attached to her hair. Guess it was time to go. She took her bag and stood up with a heavy sigh. The akuma actually went inside her left hooped earring. A purple butterfly outline appeared on her face and her face literally darkened.

 

“Hello, Naga. I’ve heard your plights loud and clear. If you accept my help and bring me the Miraculouses, you can simply stun people with your intelligence. All you have to do is accept,” Squip explained.

 

“Really?” Brooke asked hopefully. A wicked smirk adorned her face. “Thank you, Squip.”

 

The bubbling darkness coated her body and transformed her. Not only her, but the classroom. Like an infection.

 

“Hey, four eyes!” Jeremy slapped his back. 

 

“You’re cheerier than usual. Did you see a human-cat hybrid today?” Michael suggested. 

 

“Nah. I just feel like today’s going to be a good da-” the air raid sirens cut him off mid-sentence. "Oh."

 

“You were saying?” Michael shouted over the alarms. Michael ran off to the bathrooms while Jeremy went inside his favorite closet. 

 

“Plagg, claws out!”

 

“Tikki, spots on!”

 

When they both came out of their respective places, the school wasn't…

 

It wasn’t a school. 

 

It morphed into a dungeon of sorts. Torches lit up the hallways and steel bars replaced every door. Like prison cells. Jeremy found that to be pretty funny, actually. Whoever was akumatized must really hate school. Then, he looked deeper into the dark hallways. Even with his night vision, he couldn’t see how far they extended. The encroaching darkness reminded him of the living shadows, the Vashta Nerada.

 

“Ladybug?” Cat Noir called her yo-yo with his stick.

 

“Hey. You’re seeing this dungeon, too, right? I’m not tripping on shrooms?”

 

“Our transformations dull the effects of drugs,” Cat Noir replied. 

 

“Okay, cool. Where are you?”

 

“I came in through the front,” Cat Noir lied. “I went near the bathrooms went everything changed.

 

“You think there are still people in here?” Ladybug wondered. A few distant screams rang out. “That answers that. Do you have any landmarks near you?” 

 

“Um… oh, a sign! It says… fucking shit, that’s creepy,” Cat Noir murmured. He turned his phone so Ladybug could read it.

 

In bloody letters, it read ‘Remember that you are mortal. Remember that you will die.’

 

“I found a sign. It was written in gibberish though. Something about Cthulhu,” Ladybug replied.

 

“In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming. That’s what it probably was,” Cat Noir murmured. “He’s a monster imprisoned in the ocean. He can only drive a few people to insanity while locked up, so he uses his cult members to try to break free. Just looking at him would make you lose your mind.”

 

“Christ. Well, I’ll try to find your sign. I’m not sure if we should stay put or keep moving, but I’ll stay on the phone, okay?”

 

Whispers. “Ladybug?"

 

“You hear those, too?” He replied. “I hear whispers all over. Babies, Gods, Viruses. What the Hell does that mean?” 

 

“In a book I once read, those three terms referred to these supernatural beings from space that could grant superpowers. The babies represented their ignorance of the world, gods referred to their semi-divine status, and viruses referred to how they spread powers like a plague,” Cat Noir said. “I think?”

 

“I reached a wall,” Ladybug said. “I think it’s a riddle. Like the grumpy old troll or a sphinx. Where did Sally go during the bombing?” He read out.

 

“Everywhere. Say everywhere,” Cat Noir said. 

 

“Everywhere?” Ladybug tried. The wall opened and Ladybug kept running. “This is really hard to maneuver in. I feel like every footstep echoes throughout this entire complex.”

 

“This is a weird akuma. Wait, do you hear thumping in the walls?” Cat Noir asked.

 

“No, I don’t. You should run,” Ladybug suggested. 

 

“But what if it’s the akuma? If I fight it here, you can keep making your way without running the risk distractions,” Cat Noir extended his pole and looked around. “The low lighting doesn’t affect me. Night vision, remember?”

 

“Don't do anything crazy. I’ll get to you as soon as possible. Stay safe,” Ladybug said. He hung up. 

 

Cat Noir spun his pole and looked all around. There were occasional rafters or something that connected the walls. The walls were like someone took stones and glued them to a wall. It was kind of smooth, but his hand unexpectedly went down at times to touch an actual wall.

 

The thumping in the walls only got louder. This reminded him of something. The walls. It was something about the walls. So far, the dungeon had made references to literature. It was all stories Cat Noir had read before. Wildbow and Lovecraft related to the whispers and signs, but what was the dungeon a reference to? He had recently re-read the Harry Potter. His favorite was the second book which was-

 

Cat Noir’s breath hitched. He redialed Ladybug.

 

“Yeah, what’s up?”

 

“It’s in the pipes! Oh, God, it’s a basilisk!” Cat Noir realized. “Ah!”

 

“Cat Noir? Cat Noir?” Ladybug lost signal. “Shit!”

 

The akuma was a fucking basilisk? Ladybug swung through the hallways and only stopped at dead ends. He also stared at a few stone statues of his classmates, but he had no way of helping them.

 

‘What do you see once in a year, twice in a week, but never in a day?’

 

“This is like that moment question. What was it?” Ladybug’s mind was a bit frazzled. “Oh, it’s the letter e!” He realized. The wall opened and he found Cat Noir’s body.

 

Encased in stone. 

 

“Cat Noir!” Ladybug tried moving the stone, but it was glued to the ground. His staff was okay, so Ladybug strapped it to his back and hugged his partner. “I’ll save you, okay? No fucking Harry Potter bitch will get to me.”

 

Whispers. Failure, History, Past. What did that mean? Sobs, too. Someone was crying. Was it the akuma or a person?

 

“Ladybug!” Christine ran up to him. “Oh, God, is that Cat Noir?” She asked.

 

“He’s turned to stone. We’re dealing with a basilisk, or at least, some sort of snake. Perhaps a Medusa-variant? He told me just before he…” Ladybug trailed off. “Stick with me, okay?” He handed her his pole.

 

“Where else would I go? There’s no exit to this thing,” Christine chuckled weakly. “Sorry, I’m a bit nervous.” The pole trembled with her shaky hands.

 

“Me too. Lucky Charm!” Ladybug shouted. His yo-yo shot up and he really wished that the charm would give him a way to de-stone people. It instead dropped a mirror.

 

“A mirror? What are you supposed to do with that?” Christine looked in it. “If it’s a basilisk, then won’t you get petrified?”

 

“No, this is different. It must have a mixture of powers. I think Cat Noir looked in its eyes and was merely petrified. I don’t think looking in the mirror will have the same effect,” Ladybug said.

 

“Okay. I’ll trail behind you and scream in case I see a giant serpent,” Christine said.

 

“I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe,” Ladybug promised. Christine smiled and nodded.

 

They walked through the dungeons. They looked into the cells, but there was nothing in them. Just torches and planks. 

 

Until they reached another dead end.

 

“How many bananas could you eat on an empty stomach?” Christine tilted her head.

 

“It’s indirect. It’s never asking for a practical answer,” Ladybug said.

 

“It’s one. You can only eat a banana and afterwards, you won’t have an empty stomach,” Jenna said. She waved to them.

 

“Jenna! You’re okay!” Christine pulled her into a large hug. The foreboding and creepy mood lightened a bit. Throughout the entire time, Ladybug felt like there were bugs crawling up his neck.

 

“Well, I’m in an akuma’s dungeon. My phone is  _ not _ working, so I can’t even record this. I don’t even know who got akumatized!” Jenna groaned.

 

“We’re dealing with a Medusa type of akuma. Can’t stare directly in its eyes, but Ladybug got a mirror. Wait, you used your Lucky Charm on the mirror. Aren’t you going to transform back?”

 

“I got one minute,” Ladybug lied. “So, here’s what’s going to happen.” He motioned for them to come closer. Ladybug started whispering to them a bunch of jargon. The thumping appeared nearby and Ladybug resisted the urge to smirk.

 

“Brooke?” Jenna screamed. Within ten seconds, her body turned to stone and Ladybug flicked the mirror out to look behind him.

 

It was definitely Brooke. At least, the top half. Her bottom half looked somewhat similar to a reptile’s. She had a long green tail that stretched at least fifteen feet long and had a white ‘belly’ of sorts. The top of her body was naked and the only thing that hid her breasts was a thin grey piece of cloth. Her hair was done up in a large bun and her eyes were a deep purple. She had fangs and a forked tongue, too.

 

“You tricked me!” Her voice was scratchy, yet it echoed through the halls.

 

“Yeah, and it worked. What do you want?” Ladybug murmured. 

 

“No one tricks Naga!” She lunged at Ladybug and he backflipped out of her way. She turned around and so did Ladybug. Christine ran off to the side and watched the fight from the side, closing her eyes whenever she thought Brooke would look her way.

 

“Shit, fighting like this is hard,” Ladybug murmured. He kicked Brooke’s stomach and jumped backwards, his eyes still on the mirror.

 

“Ladybug, there are earrings on her elf-like ears! Could that be where the akuma is?” Christine realized. Naga turned and Christine shut her eyes tight.

 

“Stupid girl!” Brooke slapped her with her tail and Christine was sent sprawling on the ground. She dropped the staff and groaned in pain.

 

“Christine!” Ladybug turned. He nearly looked into her eyes, but he managed to cover them at the last moment.

 

“Ladybug, you are going to give me your Miraculous or I’ll squeeze the life out of this girl!” Naga grabbed Christine and she tried to punch her tail. It did nothing. Maybe if she had Cat Noir’s pole, she could’ve...

 

“Let me go! Brooke, please! You’re better than this!” Christine choked out. Her grip on the play girl only got tighter.

 

“Christine, it won’t work. You can’t convince them!” Ladybug insisted. He threw his yo-yo backwards, but Naga bit down on it and Ladybug couldn’t pull it back.

 

“Brooke, come here! Lean over and I’ll tell you Ladybug’s identity! He told me it to use as collateral!” Christine told her.

 

“What?” Naga turned to her. She dropped the yo-yo and Christine shut her eyes again.

 

“Loosen your grip on me, and I’ll tell you! You can keep holding me, but I’m about to pass out…” Christine insisted. Brooke listened and Christine went limp, sliding out of her slippery embrace.

 

Naga screeched in anger and went after Christine. Christine looked in her eyes and let herself turn to stone.

 

“Ladybug, now!"

 

He grinned and sent his yo-yo at her right earring. It broke, but it didn’t have the akuma. She turned back to Ladybug and Christine thr at her eye before her arm could be turned to stone, too.

 

“You bitch!” Naga screeched. She turned back to Christine and Ladybug smacked the other earring. The akuma flew out and Brooke’s snake form disappeared.

 

“Christine, you did it,” Ladybug chuckled. Christine held her head up high and gave him a weak smile and fell over, completely made out of stone. He cringed and silently thanked her again. “The akuma makes an exit, and it’s time to disappear!” Ladybug opened his yo-yo and activated his last power. He twisted it around, caught the akuma, and let it go free as a butterfly. “Seeya, little butterfly.” He took the mirror and threw it up in the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”

 

The ladybugs cleared out the dungeon mirage and restored everyone back to normal without any further complications. That made Michael sigh in relief.

 

“Ma’am, you alright?” Ladybug crouched down next to Brooke.

 

“What happened? I don’t remember being on the flo… did I get akumatized?” Brooke asked.

 

“Yeah, sorry. You were a basilisk of sorts.”

 

“Like Harry Potter?”

 

“Like Harry Potter.”

 

His Miraculous beeped, and Cat Noir ran to the hallway where the four of them were. Jenna had her phone out and Christine was rubbing her head.

 

“You guys alright?” Cat Noir’s eyes landed on all four of them.

 

“A-Okay,” Ladybug promised. “I have to go, though.”

 

Cat Noir nodded. “I’ll handle the press… and Jenna.”

 

“Bug out!” Ladybug ran off.

 

“Jenna, it was awesome! Well, not awesome since I got turned to stone, but I helped a superhero! This makes all of my geeky dreams real!” Christine squealed.

 

“What happened after I got stoned? Heh, heh,” Cat Noir chuckled.

 

Christine gave a quick recount which led to Cat Noir nodding a lot and Jenna writing down notes.

 

“So, Cat Noir, about your identity-”

 

“I’m going to ignore that question. Next.” Cat Noir gave her a Cheshire smile.

 

“Fine. So, how do you activate your powers? Do you chant a spell or something?” Jenna tilted her head.

 

“It’s a command. I say, Plagg, claws out, and my powers activate. The Miraculous listens to that command and transforms us,” Cat Noir explained.

 

“Who is Plagg?”

 

“An annoying pest that berates me. He is like the personification of the choker, sort of,” Cat Noir shrugged. His Miraculous started beeping. “Oh, shit, I forgot about how I tried to use Cataclysm on her. Gotta bounce!” He got on all fours and leaped across the hallway.

 

“Wait, what does Plagg look like?” Jenna called after him. Jenna ran after him for a few seconds before giving up. She crossed her arms and pouted. 

 

“Aw, don’t be upset. Think about it this way: you got a private interview of sorts, and you know more than most.” Christine patted her back. Jenna pulled on a smile. God, she was gay for Christine. She literally made everyone feel better with just a few smiles and sentences.

 

“Yeah, true. Thanks, Chris.”

 

-

 

“Another day, another failure!” Squip threw his staff to the ground. “Despite their partnership being rock solid, they can both handle themselves. Especially with other citizens. I need more Miraculouses. I need to use… no… I can’t,” he sighed. “One day, I will prevail, Ladybug and Cat Noir. My desire will be fulfilled, and I will get your Miraculouses!”

 

The window on his lair closed, signalling the end of Squip’s scheming. 

 

For now.

 

-

 

“Hey, Brooke!” Jeremy found her the next day, staring blankly at her locker.

 

“Hey…” Brooke yawned.

 

“I’m really sorry about yesterday. I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad. It came out that way because I’m awkward,” Jeremy apologized.

 

“I shouldn’t have gotten so upset. You were only trying to be nice, and I took it personally. How about we agree to disagree and hug it out?” Brooke suggested. Jeremy nodded and the two embraced each other.

 

“Aw! Ladybug’s got competition!” Madeline cooed.

 

“Okay, Madeline, it’s like you want me to get akumatized again. Or Jeremy,” Brooke scoffed. "Stop acting like we're in middle school."

 

“It’s just a joke, Brooke. No need to take it personally.”

 

“I will take it personally, actually. People can become volatile because of this crap. So, just stop!” Brooke argued.

 

Jeremy was scared another akuma would come by. “Brooke, just let it go, okay?”

 

She turned back to Jeremy, a fierce look in her eye. Jeremy didn’t cower as he once would have. Being Cat Noir did give him a bit more confidence and backbone.

 

“Okay. Fine. But you-”

 

“Brooke!” Jeremy interrupted. “Madeline is the least worth it when it comes to arguing. She’s just going to pretend to agree with you or argue until the rest of time.”

 

Madeline scoffed. “Who gave you the right to talk to me like that?”

 

“Who gave you the right to talk down to us?” Jeremy spat back.

 

The tension was so thick that you could cut with a knife and get two halves of thickness… wait. Anyway, a teacher came by and told them to settle down. For the rest of the day, Jeremy was on edge. He waited for an akuma to come by.

 

But it never did, and Jeremy wasn’t sure if he should be relieved in the present or scared for the future. 

 

Everyone’s actions now had more profound consequences. The slightest flame could set off a gas explosion. Two undeniable truths made their way into Jeremy’s mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Madeline isn't the next akuma, actually. Gottem. btw, I imagine Madeline to look like Chloe but just a bit uglier and meaner. And also with a lot more caked on makeup and only gucci outfits.


	9. Clairvoyant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Running out of Be More Chill characters to akumatize? That's why we're going to be borrowing a few musical characters and bringing them along for the shit-show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't wait for summer to be over and for my update schedule to die!!!11!
> 
> I still haven't finished my homework and I go back in less than two days.

Ah, Westerburg. What a school. Four suicides total, one bomb threat/bomb suicide, and two almost suicides. 

 

Veronica just wanted to finish her last year at the goddamned school. That acceptance letter from Harvard or Brown better come by. For some reason, Duke didn’t seem very appealing anymore.

 

“Hey, ‘ronica!” Macnamara tugged on her arm. “So, me and a few girlfriends from cheer wanted to ask you about the game tonight. You going? We’re stopping at AppleBee’s after."

 

“I’ll go, but only because you’ll be there. And… only because you asked, actually,” Veronica decided.

 

“Cool. Oh, no. Here comes… uh… I gotta go,” Heather M. ran off.

 

“Ugh, she’s such a coward,” Duke scowled. She didn’t have a problem saying what she thought anymore even though not a lot of people liked her.

 

“You almost drove her to overdose. And make her a statistic on US Today,” Veronica scoffed. “How stupid are you?”

 

“If she can’t take the heat, she should get out of the fucking kitchen. It’s highschool, not daycare. And don’t talk to me like that. I have-”

 

“Two failing classes. I should know, considering I forged that report card for you,” Veronica chuckled. “I have all hundreds.”

 

“Grades aren’t everything!”

 

“They certainly help in school though,” Veronica shrugged. She fiddled with the red scrunchie on her hair. It did make her feel confident, but it didn’t turn her automatically into a mega bitch like Chandler and Duke. 

 

Well, it only turned her into a mega bitch around Duke. 

 

“Ugh. Stop riding me so hard. I can’t believe Chandler ever let you into our group,” Duke huffed.

 

“I can’t believe you tried getting me to fake prescription passes for you.” Veronica raised her eyebrow.

 

Duke fumed and Veronica laughed. While Duke was good at doing things indirectly, actual confrontation was her weak point. It was most people’s weak points, actually. For some reason, Veronica believed most people would cyberbully less often if they ever said what they say so confidently on the Internet in real life.

 

Fast forward a few hours later, Veronica was at the football game. Heather M. was currently flying through the air and the girl clad-in-blue couldn’t take her eyes off the routine. Holy shit, they coordinated those cartwheels like pros. It was much better than the Middleborough cheerleaders. That blonde girl on the cheerleading squad did do a good backflip off another girl’s shoulders.

 

The field tripled as a lacrosse, soccer, and football field. Their track bordered the field and a giant W was in the center of it, too. 

 

In the fan stands for both schools, there were about fifty people clad-in-black each. Veronica wasn’t a part of it, but she did laugh when she saw a guy without a shirt on. He had black paint  all over his body with what was presumably ‘Middleborough’ on his chest. That didn’t say masturbation, did it?

 

By the end of the game, Middleborough won. Veronica went down to see Heather and she was groaning, her eyes seemingly trying to burn a hole in the ground.

 

“I really wished we won,” she sighed. “I know we have a few more games, but I thought my performance was really good tonight.”

 

“Aw, Heather. It’s not like your performance makes the football players any better at the game. It make them motivated, but they lack the brains necessary to do anything complex. Kurt and Ram were…” Veronica trailed off.

 

“Don’t remind me of them, please. Ma told me that disrespecting the dead is rude, but I can’t help but feel…” she let out a shuddering breath. “Let’s just go eat, okay?”

 

-

  
The butterfly window opened. Squip appeared, a wicked smirk on his face. “And yet again, a teenager has negative emotions clouding their entire being. This one feels conflicted over the death of her classmates. Should she hate them or mourn them? Such awful feelings are perfect for my akuma.”

 

He covered the butterfly in darkness and let out soar into the night sky.

 

“Evilize her!”

 

-

 

“I think I’ll order ribs. Ribs are decent there,” Veronica determined.

 

“Probably will get a fish of sorts. I like fish…” Heather said as she threw her pom-poms to the side. The akuma floated overhead.

 

“You feeling okay?”

 

“Yeah. Sorry for that bout of weird… feelings, back there,” she said.

 

“It’s fine. Don’t apologize for feelings ‘n’ shit,” Veronica advised.

 

-

 

“Drat! The negativity has gone away!” He clenched his fists.

 

-

 

“Veronica, I’ve been meaning to ask, actually. How do you feel about them? You know… being gone?” Heather M sighed.

 

“Oh! I… Well… they were assholes, I know, but I never wanted them to die. I never wanted anyone to die. That includes JD even though he used a burn on my hand to smoke a cig,” Veronica sardonically chuckled. “It’s not an easy question, huh?”

 

“I’m sorry, it was-”

 

“Don’t apologize. I just don’t have a good answer.” She bit her lip.

 

-

 

“This other girl feels guilty over their deaths. Like she could’ve done different. Good. My little akuma can now evilize her!”

 

-

 

The akuma flew into Veronica’s scrunchie. The purple butterfly outline appeared on her face.

 

“Hello, Clairvoyant. I’m Squip. I would like to introduce you to a new kind of power. One that will make you aware of what’s always going to happen. You’ll never be caught off guard again. Nothing will ever shock you again. What do you say? You’ll get to keep these powers of foresight if you bring the headphones of Ladybug and choker of Cat Noir.”

 

“Veronica? What’s going on?” Heather M took a few steps back.

 

“I… I’m not Veronica,” she chuckled. A wide smirk appeared on her face. “It’s crazy, right? I’m Clairvoyant! I’m Clairvoyant!” 

 

A witch-like cackle appeared on Veronica’s face as the darkness bubbled over her entire body. What came out of it was an akuma.

 

Clairvoyant wore a skintight suit. It had a belt with a clock on the center of it along with an hourglass-like visor. The only thing that people could see of her body was her hair and her dark purple scrunchie. The rest of the costume was bright white.

 

“I can see the future! I can see it all! It’s amazing, Heather! I feel unstoppable!” Clairvoyant cheered. She grabbed the cheerleader and her scream ripped through the night sky as Clairvoyant flew to the sky.

 

Meanwhile, Michael was picking at his cuticles in his PT Cruiser. Jeremy wanted to get a ride from Brooke to get some Pinkberry, but Michael just wanted a slushie. He actually wasn’t jealous for once because he was a good best friend. That really wasn’t a thinly veiled disguise for his anger. The more he denied it in his head, obviously, the more dishonest he seemed, so he stopped thinking about it and gazed at the white humanoid blur in the sky.

 

Wait, what?

 

“Tikki, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Michael asked.

 

“Is it that you should transform and save the day once again?” Tikki did a salute.

 

“Tikki, spots on!” Michael cheered. A low flash of light appeared in Michael’s car and he climbed out.

 

Meanwhile, Jeremy was just getting ready to get inside her mother’s car when he saw a red blur in the night sky. He could actually pick up a whoop and cheer coming from… was that Ladybug? He wasn’t sure, but he should go check it ou-

 

“Jeremy? Do you wanna ride?” A few seconds passed. “Do you wanna ride or not?” Brooke asked.

 

Jeremy went poker faced. “Sorry, Brooke. I forgot something. Just go on without me, okay?”

 

“No, I’ll come with y-”

 

“No, no, no. I know where I left my thing. Actually, I don’t want Pinkberry right now. Another day, I promise! Okay? Okay,” Jeremy ran off. He went to the side of the school and let Plagg fly out.

 

“How boring are you? You’re following a hunch over getting Pinkberry with a booty-ful girl?” Plagg asked.

 

“Brooke’s my friend, Plagg. I’m not interested in her like that, and you shouldn’t be, either. Plagg, claws out,” Jeremy said before he could get another comment in. He was pretty sure white blurs weren’t supposed to be flying at night, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

 

“Ahhhh,” Plagg groaned.

 

Ladybug swirled the yo-yo around and flicked it at the new akuma. He saw the person in her arms and pulled back the yo-yo before it could reach. Currently, he was staring down the flying akuma from his place on the roof.

 

“Ah, Ladybug. Thank you for saving me the trouble of finding you,” Clairvoyant cackled.

 

“I couldn’t-”

 

“You couldn’t agree more? Followed up with a bug pun?” Clairvoyant tilted her head innocently.

 

Ladybug was going to say something about Clairvoyant bugging her, so… shit, was he dealing with a seer?

 

“You’re not going-”

 

“To defeat me? Cat Noir and I are the best team?” She suggested.

 

Ladybug inwardly smirked. Okay, so she’s definitely cocky. But then again, she had good reason to be. How was Ladybug supposed to fight off someone with foresight?

 

Ladybug watched a pole sail across the night sky in a spinning arc. As in, it came from the field, spun, and fell against Clairvoyant’s leg.

 

“Cat Noir?” Clairvoyant growled.

 

“Ya!” Ladybug threw the yo-yo to grab the girl she held as hostage. Clairvoyant flew out of the way.

 

Ladybug backflipped off the roof, fell lazily to the ground, and then turned and swung her yo-yo at a light to land perfectly next to Cat Noir.

 

“It’s a fucking fortune teller,” Ladybug sighed.

 

“Fortune… like Doctor Manhattan?” Cat Noir suggested.

 

“No, it’s more broad than that. The way she effortlessly counters my attacks, and the way she knew what I was going to say implies that her precognition is limited. Perhaps it’s only to one person?” Ladybug wondered. 

 

“Let’s test it out. You go high, I go low?” Cat Noir replied. "Also, you like Watchmen?"

 

Ladybug nodded. He swung up on the light and pushed off it. Cat Noir jumped up on the school roof and extended his pole to swipe at her legs.

 

It didn’t work.

 

Clairvoyant kicked Cat Noir to the ground and put Heather M. in front of Ladybug, forcing her to change trajectory.

 

“Okay, I can’t take this already. Lucky Charm!” Ladybug shouted. His yo-yo rose up into the air and out came a bungee cord with two hooks at the end.

 

“A bungee cord? What am I supposed to do with this?” Ladybug asked.

 

“No plan of yours will work, Ladybug! I can already tell that you want to use the bungee cord on the lights to propel yourself so fast that not even my future vision will help!” Clairvoyant shouted.

 

“Future me has good ideas,” Ladybug shrugged.

 

“No offense, but I think this akuma is going to take more than a few of my lives.” Cat Noir spun his pole defensively. “I think the akuma is in that scrunchie. It’s the only out of place object.”

 

“Should we try random attacks?” He suggested. “And also, pretty smart. You can be the cat’s meow sometimes!” Ladybug chuckled.

 

“Clairvoyant can predict those. How are we supposed to-” Cat Noir’s eyes widened and he charged Clairvoyant.

 

“Cat Noir? What are you doing?” Ladybug shouted. He didn’t turn back. Then, Ladybug got an idea and swung his yo-yo in the other direction.

 

Heather M. was fighting in her grasp. She bit Clairvoyant’s arm and the akuma had to shake her off. Now, the young cheerleader was falling through the sky.

 

“Cataclysm!” Cat Noir shouted desperately. He slammed his hand on the ground and created a ramp that formed just under Heather M.’s body, so she landed it on with, at best, minor injuries.

 

“Heather, get back here! I should’ve left you in that bathroom if I knew you were going to be such a bitch!” Clairvoyant screeched.

 

“You’re not Veronica! You’re a villain. I don’t believe anything you say!” Heather M. shook her head.

 

“I don’t know who you are, exactly. But I think you’re a decent person. Why are you doing this?” Cat Noir asked.

 

“You’re going to try to throw a stone at me to catch my off-guard. Don’t even bother.” Clairvoyant crossed her arms. Cat Noir threw it anyway and she caught it easily.

 

“I have faith in _my_ plan. I know I can defeat you, and even though I’m running out of time, I will save the day.”

 

Clairvoyant snorted. “What can you do without your precious Ladybug? You’re useless, Cat Noir!”

 

“Or am I?” Cat Noir tilted his head. He looked at his pole. “You hear that?” 

 

“I definitely heard that.”

 

Ladybug took the time to set up his human slingshot. He hooked the wires to two lights and went back on the field. With as much force from his legs as possible, he jumped, did a twist in mid-air, and landed horizontally on the wire. They didn’t break under the stress and Ladybug cheered as he burned through the sky like a red comet.

 

“Are your plans always this... fast?” Cat Noir asked.

 

“Just this one!” Ladybug didn’t even need the phone to say that. He had already kicked Clairvoyant into the school.

 

“The butterfly thingy is in her scrunchie. Then, Veronica went crazy!” Heather M. told Cat Noir who stared at his open phone line.

 

“Got it!” Ladybug chirped from inside the school. He took the scrunchie from the dazed woman and ripped it. The akuma flew out and the girl changed back into a brunette with short hair and blue clothes. 

 

“Gah… what?” She rubbed her head.

 

“The akuma makes an exit, and it’s time to disappear!” Ladybug opened his yo-yo and activated his last power. He twisted it around, caught the akuma, and let it go free as a butterfly. “Seeya, little butterfly.”

 

“I… Oh, no. I got akumatized, didn’t I?” Veronica facepalmed. 

 

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up over it. No one got hurt, and I can fix all this damage.” Ladybug led her out of the school. He swung to the bungee cord and threw it up in the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”

 

That was the first time the two girls had ever seen his powers in person. The ladybugs swarmed over everything that was once broken and fixed it in a heartbeat. While they didn’t know how he could do that, Ladybug knew that the power of creation was behind it all. He enjoyed being Ladybug, truly. 

 

“Let’s go!” Ladybug jumped back and did the familiar handshake with Cat Noir.

 

-

 

“Again? They won… again? Against a seer?” Squip clawed at his mask. “Ladybug and Cat Noir may have outsmarted her, but the future is clear to me. I will win, and I will get their Miraculouses!” Squip promised as the window shut once again.

 

-

 

“Guess I still have a few things to work out, huh?” Veronica realized. She gripped the scrunchie in her hands and gingerly poked it.

 

“Maybe we should burn it,” Heather suggested. “It’ll be symbolic. For moving on and such.”

 

Veronica nodded. They went back to the Sawyer household and started the fireplace. Veronica threw the scrunchie inside without hesitation and watched it go up in flames.

 

“Anything?” Heather wondered.

 

“I feel… something.”

 

“Well, I’m going to go get my Applebee’s. You coming?”

 

“Nah. I want to sleep. Being evil makes me tired.”

 

Heather laughed and hugged her friend goodbye. Veronica went upstairs and climbed into bed. She expected the ghosts of Heather, Ram, Kurt, and JD to bother her, but they didn’t.

 

For the first time since she accidentally killed Heather, Veronica slept peacefully.

 

-

 

“Michael!” Jeremy ran over to his friend who was sitting in his car. Tikki ducked inside his hoodie pocket.

 

“Jeremy, hey. I thought you were going to Pinkberry?” Michael whistled awkwardly.

 

“The akuma stopped us. I also forgot something important and decided to risk going back,” Jeremy lied.

 

Michael didn’t remember seeing Jeremy during the fight. He chalked it up to him being distracted.

 

“I also wanted to get a slushie with my best friend. Brooke’s car is gone, anyway, but I changed my mind as soon as I grabbed my wallet,” Jeremy explained. 

 

That made Michael’s heart go  **_THA-THUMP-THA-THUMP-I’MGAY-THA-THUMP._ **

 

“Well, I’d love to get Seven-Eleven. Not particularly with you, but a day there is a day well-spent,” Michael chirped. Jeremy opened the shotgun seat and smiled at Michael.

 

“Hey, you got a bit of dirt on your… face. Like, everywhere but your eyes,” Michael said. If he wasn’t oblivious, he would’ve realized that the clean spot on Jeremy’s face was the same shape as Cat Noir’s mask.

 

“I fell, but I covered my eyes before doing so,” Jeremy said. Inwardly, he was screaming obscenities at the risk of being caught.

 

“Ha! You can’t balance yourself because you’re supposed to be on four legs like a wolf!”

 

“On all levels except physical, I am a wolf. Ruff!” Jeremy replied. “Well, I’m more of a house cat, actually.”

 

“Why? Cause you’re disruptive and lazy?”

 

“Aw, Michael.” Jeremy covered his chest with his hands. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me!”

 

_ “Actually, the nicest thing I ever said was that I loved you, but we don’t talk about that,” _ Michael thought.

 

They drove off to their favorite hangout spot, laughing and grinning the entire way. Tikki nibbled on a cookie in Michael’s pocket while Plagg slept in Jeremy’s wallet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're planning your future, Veronica Sawyer.


	10. The Pocketer - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Cat Noir stop a bank robbery, but one of them gets angry and turns into The Pocketer! What will Michael and Cat Noir do without Ladybug around to save the day?
> 
> Edit: I forgot the Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ship names for the square! That I just made up!
> 
> Boyf Riends- This one isn't clever but I'm not fixing what isn't broken.  
> Equilibrium- (Ladybug and Cat Noir) Get it? Because they're Good Luck and Bad Luck? Creation and Destruction? No? Okay.  
> Laremy- (Ladybug and Jeremy) This one isn't very clever.  
> Mica(t) Noir-(Michael and Cat Noir) I actually like this one.

“Bank robbery at Montclair- I’m not even going to read all of that. Tikki, we’re going on a field trip!” Michael shot up from his beanbag. He was in the middle of the Persona 5 Final Boss, but it was okay. Didn’t matter how long he waited on Jokers’ turn since there was no time limit.

 

“Ready to go, Michael. Just say the words, and transform!” Tikki chirped.

 

“Tikki, spots on!” Michael whooped. He jumped out of his window and nose dived to the ground before swinging his yo-yo and flying through the air. He knew the situation was serious, but he seriously couldn’t help his joyous attitude. The energy and life being pumped into his body was ridiculous.

 

-

 

“Plagg, stop sniffing my dirty cardigan!” Jeremy shouted. “There’s a bank robbery going down, and people are in danger.”

 

“You don’t have to handle those problems. That’s the police’s job, dude. Natural order of stuff,” Plagg floated lazily about.

 

“Plagg, claws out,” Jeremy said with a smirk on his face. He liked putting Plagg to work. It was a catharsis for him.

 

“Oh, no~!” Plagg tried holding onto his cardigan, but he got sucked inside Jeremy’s choker.

 

“I really need to invest in a way to change this. I don’t like chokers,” Cat Noir murmured.

 

-

 

“It’s Ladybug and Cat Noir!” Jenna shouted. Ladybug preferred a stealthier approach, but Cat Noir said that they were about as inconspicuous as an Outer God.

 

“Actually, Nyarlathotep can disguise himself,” Ladybug argued.

 

“Yeah, but think about Cthulhu when he comes out of the sea.”

 

“He turns everyone insane, though. Easy to miss something when you don’t have much of a mind to work with,” Ladybug said.

 

“Okay, you know what? It’s ruffling my fur, arguing with you about technicalities in Cosmic Horror,” Cat Noir shuddered. “Listen, milord. I think we should go in, powers blazing.”

 

“Couldn’t we resolve this without resorting to our draining powers?” Ladybug asked.

 

“If Ladybug or Cat Noir come in, we’ll shoot!” The man from inside shouted through a megaphone.

 

“His voice quivered,” Cat Noir’s ears twitched. “I have a feeling he’s not up for it.”

 

“He might not be, but his friends could be,” Ladybug argued. “Dammit, if only we had an illusionist or something among us. Maybe a disguiser.”

 

Cat Noir shrugged. “How about we split up and listen for negotiations? Then, maybe we can-”

 

“Wait!” Ladybug realized. “The vents on top. Do you have the new Spider man game?”

 

Cat Noir tilted his head until his face lit up with understanding. “Peter Parker your way in, milord. Good luck.”

 

“Like always, you can count on me.”

 

Ladybug threw his yo-yo to the roof and ripped off a vent. As sneaky as a cat, he climbed through the narrow tunnel and looked at the robbers.

 

“One, two, three, four, five,” Ladybug murmured. Number one was the talker, number two and three had guns, and number four and five were running back and forth. Probably grabbing money.

 

The vents didn’t clang as Ladybug crawled through them. They were dark blue and the light from the bank didn’t give away his position whenever he crawled near a vent. At some point, he gingerly removed a vent with the ten hostages below along with the gunmen.

 

“Bug face makes an entrance,” Ladybug hummed under his breath. He stuck his head out through the hole and threw his yo-yo at the gun. The man gasped and Ladybug jumped out. He kicked the other gunmen in the head and sent him sprawling into a desk.

 

“Cat Noir!” Ladybug shouted into his yo-yo.

 

“Copy that! Or should I say, copy cataclysm!”

 

Cat Noir burst through the door with a wild grin on his face. He slammed his hand on the floor and a cover blocking the entrance appeared.

 

“I think it’s time you surrender here, boys,” Ladybug chuckled. He swung his yo-yo in a figure eight figure while Cat Noir casually twirled his pole around.

 

“We’re not giving up to two wannabees in tights!” Number five said.

 

“That’s right!” Number four agreed.

 

“Jack Reyes?” Ladybug and Cat Noir recognized his voice from under the mask. How they recognized the drama teacher’s voice but not each other’s was a feat worthy of the absolute idiots. They were at least smart enough to not call him mister.

 

“I am not that wimp! I am a guy with a dream of going to Broadway, and I-”

 

“Yeah, that’s him,” Ladybug murmured. He threw his yo-yo at his head and knocked him against the wall. Cat Noir poked number one’s body from a safe distance and with one more throw of his yo-yo, the last guy was taken down.

 

“That’s it? I didn’t even lose a life! How anti-climeowtic,” Cat Noir sighed.

 

“You’re trying too hard,” Ladybug replied.

 

“Oh, whatever. We saved the day, didn’t we?” Cat Noir went up to him.

 

They did their high fives and foot tap. “Let’s go!” They finished.

 

Cat Noir moved the cover out of the way and let the police in.

 

“All knocked out and guns are destroyed,” Ladybug piped up.

 

A tall Asian man gave them a half-smile. “Thanks Ladybug and Cat Noir. My daughter is a huge fan of you guys. She has your action figures at home.”

 

Ladybug nodded his head to the side while Cat Noir flashed a Cheshire grin.

 

“Oh, crap, bug face! Looks like I’m turning back. I’ll leave you to the spotlight!” Cat Noir jumped out and used his pole to propel himself through the sky.

 

“Ah, crap,” Ladybug sighed. Cat Noir had crappy puns and awful timing sometimes, but he could definitely give the camera a smile and a one-liner. Ladybug was just a bit awkward when he wasn’t doing what he did best. It was better with him around.

 

“So, Ladybug, you took a risk by Spider-manning your way into the situation? Do you always feel confident in your plans?” One of the men asked.

 

“Well, you know. I trust my luck and my instincts to get me through the day. When that’s not enough, Cat Noir usually causes enough destruction for us to get by.” Ladybug tried to joke.

 

“Do you make it a habit to do community service in costume and out?” Jenna asked with her phone out.

 

“I don’t showboat community service, but my costume is really conspicuous. If cameras show up, I sometimes get lost in my own world. I’m kinda ditzy,” Ladybug chuckled and did finger guns. People were eating it up, so he assumed he was doing something right.

 

“Who is better at fighting and who is better at strategy?” Another reporter piped up.

 

“Honestly? I usually make the plans, however, because of my special power. Without Cat Noir, it’s at least triply hard to figure out good ideas. So, as a scion of destruction, he is the better fighter. Don’t tell him I said that, though. His ego might go higher than his pole,” Ladybug tried.

 

“Is Cat Noir egotistical, then?”

 

“Woah, woah, woah, that was a joke, for the record,” Ladybug interrupted. “Alright, I think I ruined this interview for the day. Goodbye!” Ladybug swung out.

 

"Alright, you criminals. You're going away," one of the policeman said. The other groaned at his weird and cheesy liners.

 

"Get the paddywagon!" One of them joked. The other officers laughed.

 

-

 

“The means justify the ends, right? If a dream is so important, then you have to be willing to sacrifice everything for it. Your morals, your relationships, and even your sanity. A feeling I know too well,” Squip sighed. “My akuma will bond us.” He covered the white butterfly in darkness. “Fly, my akuma! Evilize him!”

 

-

 

Mr. Reyes sat in the paddy wagon, his face bright red with frustration and anger and his hands in cuffs. Everything was ruined. He would have to audition for Broadway with a tracker around his ankle if he could ever get there.

 

“My dreams are ruined. All ruined. I’m going to rot here and down there,” Mr. Reyes murmured. The akuma landed on his handcuffs and the purple butterfly outline appeared on his face.

 

“Hello, Pocketer. I understand all too well about means that justify ends. I, too, will do anything to achieve my goal. Including helping you. If you get me the Miraculouses of Ladybug and Cat Noir, I will help you with anything you’d like,” Squip said.

 

“Sounds good to me!” Mr. Reyes cackled. The miasma coalesced on his body and the other prisoners screamed in fear.

 

-

 

“Seriously, Plagg. Is this the only form of the Miraculous?” Jeremy asked.

 

“Eh. How should I know? You know, some people like the feminine look,” Plagg chuckled.

 

“Do you think I could probe your mind with some nice… Camembert squares?” Jeremy reached into the fridge. “Ooh, it smells particularly nasty!” He grinned widely.

 

“N-Nasty, you say?” Plagg gulped. “Well, when you put it like that… just take off the choker and say ‘Plagg, transform into… whatever’,” he said.

 

Jeremy grinned and let Plagg eat his cheese before he took off the choker.

 

“Plagg, transform into… a ring!” Jeremy decided. The choker vibrated, glowed white, and transformed into a silver ring. He put it on and Plagg shot back out.

 

“Ugh, I forgot that changing into another form hurts. Never doing that again, kid,” Plagg hissed. “And also, I’m hungry.”

 

-

 

“Hey, Tikki? I’ve noticed my headphones have been slipping out while running around. Do you have any ideas to fix that?” Michael asked his Kwami in an alley.

 

“Well… I guess that you could change their form,” Tikki shrugged. “You just have to take them off and say ‘Tikki, transform into object-of-your-choice’ and then… yeah!” She explained.

 

“That sounds cooler than a vintage cassette!” Michael replied.

 

“What’s a cassette?”

 

Michael gasped like Tikki just called him a horse fucker. “I have some plans for you when we get home. Wow, that sounds wrong.”

 

He took off the headphones and cleared his throat. “Tikki, transform into…” What would he even choose? Glasses would be stupid, necklace would be annoying, earrings would be ridiculous.

 

…

 

So what then?

 

“Heh, heh, some earrings would be-” the headphones glowed. “Wait, no!”

 

A pair of Ladybug themed earrings appeared in his hands. He groaned and put them on.

 

“Sorry, Michael. I don’t think you can change the Miraculous more than once per user.” Tikki rubbed her stomach. “I’m also starving.”

 

“Then, let’s get you some cookies. I’ll take you to Seven-Eleven,” Michael sighed.

 

A few blocks away, Michael jogged to Seven-Eleven. He ran into a few of his classmates and awkwardly waved to them. His little stunt after Rich turned into an akuma gained him some popularity and he was seen as cool. Someone described him as being like Cat Noir in front of a camera. He wanted to laugh at them until he coughed up a lung, but he took the compliment instead.

 

“Why are you wearing earrings?” Dustin Kropp snorted.

 

“Because my aunt likes Ladybug and gave them to me as a present, actually. She’s dying soon, so it’s kind of a farewell present. You know, the usual,” Michael spat out at them. His face fell a bit and he awkwardly turned back to his friends who started making fun of him.

 

“Good lie, Michael!” Tikki whispered from inside his hoodie.

 

He got a bunch of cheap cookies (then again, everything was cheap in Seven-Eleven) and filled up a large cup with a coke slushie, for once. Mostly because his preferred flavors weren’t ready.

 

After he paid, he was pretty sure he got a few looks when he slipped the cookie into his hood. He walked back outside and his phone vibrated.

 

“An akuma going by the name of The Pocketer is near the bank that was recently just-” Michael stopped reading. “Tikki, eat faster!”

 

“I’m trying!” She piped up from his hoodie. Michael rolled his eyes and ran back to the scene of the crime.

 

But when he got there, he heard Mr. Reyes cackle like a cartoon super villain. He was wearing a rainbow skin tight morph suit with a chain attached to his wrists. However, it extended with every arm motion and shrunk when his wrists got closer. Were the chains more metaphorical than literal? He was perched on top of a street sign.

 

Wait, since when did Michael try to figure out metaphors and shit?

 

“Michael, I need more time,” Tikki said.

 

“What? What am I supposed to do without you?” He scoffed.

 

“Be Ladybug. Be a hero, and figure it out. Put that clever brain of yours to use,” she argued.

 

Michael groaned and watched Mr. Reyes’s hands. He stuck them out and aimed them at purses and other valuables. With a flash of red light, they disappeared.

 

“Pocketer… He steals stuff with those beams,” Michael unconsciously touched his earrings. He picked up a few stones off the ground and sent a silent prayer to whatever God was out there and fired it at his face. Thank everything for that passive boost of strength from just being Ladybug so often.

 

“Ow!” He groaned.

 

“Stop stealing shit, Mr. Reyes! This isn’t like you!” Michael shouted. A few people grabbed stones of their own and threw it at the akuma. No better way to handle an ostracized member of society than a good old-fashioned stoning.

 

“You piece of shit, Michael Mell!” The Pocketer yelled. He fired the beam at Michael’s chest and he gasped. As it turned out, it was just his hoodie that got stolen.

 

“That’s my favorite hoo-” Michael froze. Tikki. Where was Tikki?

 

He ran off and The Pocketer got distracted by more stones. Michael went behind an alley and closed his eyes.

 

“Tikki, spots on, please,” Michael whispered. Nothing. “Tikki, spots on!” Michael demanded. “Dammit, Tikki, spots on!” He tried one more time.

 

Michael hyperventilated. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. What was he going to do? He looked back at Mr. Reyes and saw that he was holding his stomach.

 

“Tikki, spots on?” Michael tried again.

 

“What is happening to me?” He roared in pain.

 

“I’m not sure, but it’ll make this easy!” Cat Noir’s voice chirped.

 

Michael ran back out and watched his partner kick Mr. Reyes to the ground. He backflipped back into the crowd and Michael ran to him.

 

“He has a pocketing ability. He’ll fire a red beam and take your… Miraculous?” Michael stared at Cat Noir’s neck. “I thought you had a choker?”

 

“I upgraded.” Cat Noir winked. Michael cringed, but he hid it behind a fake smile.

 

“I don’t think Ladybug is coming. I heard him mention something about how he handled Ladybug. Be careful, please,” Michael whispered.

 

Cat Noir gave him a strange look. “Okay. Come with me for a second, Michael Mell. You’re going to be the Valerie to my Josie.”

 

“Why, because I’m smart and dark-skinned? I’m Filipino, _Melody_ ,” Michael fired back.

 

Cat Noir scoffed. “Last I checked, I’m not blonde or dumb. You can sass me LATER!” Cat Noir extended his pole out of the way of a red beam.

 

“Maybe we should stop the banter while we’re trying to save the day without Ladybug,” Michael realized.

 

“Cataclysm!” Cat Noir said when they landed on a roof. There was a large decorative rock and it split into tinier pieces. “Work on assaulting him from over here. It’ll probably give me an opening to look for the akuma.”

 

“I’m not sure, but check the handcuffs. They might be it!”

 

“Sorry, Michael. I’ve done this for a while. Ladybug and I are pros at spotting this stuff. It has to be those weird glasses that are on his face. What use does he have for them?” Cat Noir wondered. He jumped down and Michael muttered a curse.

 

“Who does he think he is, talking down to me like that?” Michael rolled his eyes. “Kick his ass next time I see him. Tikki, spots on!”

 

“Hugh!” The Pocketer groaned. “Why… is this happening? Squip, you lied to me!”

 

“He’s talking to the Squip?” Michael murmured. “Tikki, spots on. Tikki, spots on. Tikki, spots on!”

 

He let out an ear piercing scream that Michael winced at. Shit, was he killing Mr. Reyes? Maybe he should hold back on transforming? This had never happened before!

 

“Tikki, spots on!”

 

“God, make it stop! Please, make it stop!” Mr. Reyes screeched. Cat Noir was just standing there, his pole spinning defensively. He bit into his hadncuffs and stomped on them desperately. “God, please make it stop!”

 

“Jesus,” Cat Noir murmured. “I’ll help!” He ran over.

 

“Get away from me!” He fired a red beam directly at his face and Cat Noir completely disappeared.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

 

“Come back to my lair with Cat Noir captured before Ladybug comes!” Squip commanded.

 

“I can’t! It hurts too much!”

 

“Tikki, spots on,” Michael gulped. No matter what, he had a responsibility to the people. As horrific as Mr. Reyes’s screams were, he had to fight with or without the costume.

 

God, why couldn’t he just stop screaming?

 

“Let me out! Let me out!” He begged. He stomped on his handcuff chains, but they refused to break. Michael couldn’t Lucky Charm his way out of this, and no one was stupid enough to get close to him.

 

What was he going to do?

 

_“You’re still Ladybug, Michael!” Tikki’s voice rang out one day._

 

_“Tikki, I’m not Ladybug when people can see my face,” Michael rolled his eyes._

 

_“Bogus!” Tikki huffed. “You still have the heart of a hero. It’s just that you don’t have the, quote unquote, easy mode on! You’re smarter and kinder than you look. You just have to think outside the box like you do with Lucky Charm! You know that there are some Ladybugs who could never figure it out?”_

 

_“Heh. Whatever you say, Tikki.”_

 

“So much for the kind part, but what am I doing? Brooding while everyone is suffering? That’s not like me,” Michael chuckled. He found a staircase, ran down the building, and went into a department store.

 

“What would you like-” the teenage cashier spoke in a deadpan voice. He obviously didn’t see what was going on outside.

 

“Mind if I borrow these metal cutters?” Michael asked.

 

“You have to pay-”

 

“Right, thank you!”

 

Michael ducked out of the store and the cashier just sighed.

 

“I don’t get paid enough for this."

 

“Throw this to The Pocketer,” Michael handed the metal cutters to the policeman he talked to before.

 

“Beat it, kid. This isn’t something that-”

 

Michael rolled his eyes and really wished he had bought a Ladybug costume or something. He tried to give the metal cutters to a young adult man.

 

“Hi, sir? You know how that guy is trying to take off his handcuffs?” Michael muttered the chant under his breath just in case.

 

“Yeah, why?” He tilted his head at michael.

 

“Well, um, he hates me. Can you try getting these to him?” Michael bowed his head.

 

“Meh. Might as well be a superhero for my son on TV. Hope I don’t get… sent wherever he puts things,” the guy shrugged. Michael beamed and the guy moved through policemen and threw the metal cutters towards Mr. Reyes. Michael thought they would end up in his head, but they skidded across the pavement.

 

Mr. Reyes heard the noise and stared at the cutters. He desperately crawled towards them and cut the handcuffs with five motions. The akuma flew out and everything that got captured reappeared in their normal places. Michael shivered when his hoodie reappeared.

 

“Michael, in here!” Tikki whispered.

 

“Oh, Tikki. Thank God. I did it. I saved the town without transforming!” Michael ducked into another alley.

 

“I told you that you could!” Tikki put on a cheeky grin. “And you doubted me.”

 

“Never again, Tikki. You’re right about me, by the way. Ladybug is me, and I’m Ladybug,” Michael sighed. “Where did you even go?”

 

“Inside The Pocketer’s body. It was really cold,” Tikki shuddered. “But I’m good now. Ready to kick butt! Hi-ya!” Tikki kicked a wall and accidentally went through it.

 

Michael snorted and watched Tikki come out, a distraught look on her face. “I forgot about that and I got so scared!”

 

“Oh, Tikki. I would be so lost without you.”

 

-

 

“Goddamnit!” Squip clenched his fists. “Even though the akuma has escaped, there is no chance that Jack Reyes will come under my control. Not that I want him to, anyway,” he sighed. “Recognizing my dreams will be a challenge. Nooroo, dark wings off.”

 

The costume peeled off of Squip. A purple doll-like creature appeared and had a few wings on its back.

 

“Master, please. I don’t want to-”

 

“Do you think I care?”

 

“N-No, but-"

 

“Nooroo, shut your mouth. I’ll starve you until I need you again if you don’t,” he growled.

 

Nooroo nodded silently and flew inside his pants pocket.

 

“Now, I have to go get some goddamn honey from the fridge. Why does my kid keep buying camembert, also? It’s disgusting,” he cringed. The window in his room closed as he exited his attic once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that Micheal is done with his personality disorder, we should get back to torturing Jeremy soon.
> 
> Also tag yourself I'm the cashier.
> 
> Finally, Josie, Valerie, and Melody are from Josie & The Pussycats which everyone should know about tbh.


	11. Pan and The Personificator - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, 2 akuma attacks in one day?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: F-slur in the middle of this story. It's used once. 
> 
> Also this chapter has so much chaotic energy and expect to be a little confused sometimes.

“You’re all kidding me, right?” Dustin scoffed. Was he seriously the only one with a single point of IQ in his entire school? Despite his low grades, at the very least, he had fucking common sense! His surfer-esque appearance (shoulder-length blonde hair, green eyes, tanned skin, etc…) didn’t make him a complete and utter moron!

 

“Oh, grow up, Dustin!” Madeline interrupted. “You seriously think that Ladybug and Cat Noir are in the same school? And you think they’re Michael Mell and Jeremy Heere?” She had to review this bullshit information just to make sure her ears were working right.

 

Dustin grimaced. “How come they’re never around when there’s an akuma? How do they get so fast to our school?”

 

Jenna piped up. “I hang out with Jeremy and Michael all the time, Dustin-”

 

“Shut up, Jenna!” Dustin interrupted.

 

“You shut up, Dustin!” Jenna hated being told to shut up. Some people didn’t want to hear what she had to say, but even so, he had no right to talk to her like that. She wasn’t the same weak bitch from junior year. “It is so unlikely that they’re freaking Ladybug and Cat Noir that I’d bet my fifteen thousand followers on it!”

 

A few murmurs in the hallway. The teachers nearby told them to move on and keep the debates in the club or English class. At least, somewhere where they weren’t his responsibility.

 

Lowkey, Jeremy and Michael had been avoiding Dustin all day.

 

Okay maybe not so lowkey, but still.

 

“Oh, hey, Jere. I thought you were Dustin,” Michael said from his stall.

 

“Hi, Mikey,” Jeremy sighed from the other stall.

 

“You okay?”

 

“Dustin practically charged at me earlier. Freaked the shit out of me, so I ended up here. God, I wish we could hide in the other bathrooms.”

 

Michael rubbed his face. “I can’t believe he thinks we’re freaking superheroes. How stupid is that?”

 

“We would be found out after the second fight,” Jeremy chuckled.

 

“Especially you. You can’t keep a secret,” Michael teased. Tikki scolded him silently.

 

“Hey!” Jeremy resisted the urge to snicker along with Plagg. He shushed his tiny Kwami.

 

“Are you two in here?” Dustin growled as he slammed open the door. Tikki covered her mouth, Plagg went wide-eyed, Jeremy froze, and Michael drew in a deep breath.

 

Thankfully, he left in his blind search. After about a minute, Michael and Jeremy sighed quietly.

 

“What do we have next?”

 

“English. Just get everything you need and I’ll speed us home. Then, the weekend,” Michael said.

 

“Ready to run?” Jeremy opened his stall.

 

“Let’s fucking go.”

 

-

 

At the end of class, Jeremy and Michael pushed through their classmates. They understood, surprisingly, and most of them made way for the two best friends who somehow didn’t recognize each other’s voices in costume.

 

“STOP RIGHT THERE! HOLD IT!”

 

The two boys refused to make a Phoenix Wright impression they were so fucking petrified.

 

“Admit to everyone that you’re Ladybug and Cat Noir. I know you two are! I just can’t see how everyone else can’t see it! You guys are just-”

 

“While he’s ranting, you should run. I’m scared for you,” Plagg whispered.

 

“Michael, I love you. I think you can do anything. This is an exception,” Tikki advised.

 

“Dustin, what proof do you have?” Jeremy asked.

 

He held out his phone. “Repeat the message.”

 

“So, milord, you ready to go… I can’t say hard on this puss with a straight face, I’m so sorry, Richard. Will an autograph do?” Cat Noir asked.

 

“I’m not going to say hard on this puss!” Jeremy squawked. Everyone burst into a fit of chuckles except Dustin.

 

“Just say it!”

 

“Kropp, leave them alone!” Brooke shouted at him. “You’ve literally been stalking my friends all day! Just give it a rest! Even if they were Ladybug and Cat Noir, why do you want to expose them so badly? To feel superior despite your astronomical ego?”

 

A few more murmurs.

 

“Just admit it, already! Everyone’s been calling me crazy despite me being the only one who recognizes your voices!” Dustin pointed at the two of them.

 

 _“Time to choose, Michael.”_ A voice rang out in his head. It was a female’s. It was rich and deep. _“Eat or be eaten.”_

 

 _“Jeremy, you know exactly what to say.”_ Master Fu’s voice whispered. _“This is not the time or place for your identities to be revealed._

 

“Dustin, it’s not us. I’m sorry, but it isn’t,” Jeremy spoke up first.

 

“I’m not Ladybug. He’s not Cat Noir,” Michael replied, his voice unyielding.

 

Dustin ran off.

 

Michael and Jeremy turned and went home.

 

_“A special action has been performed!”_

 

**_SANITY LEVEL: 100% ---- > 85%!_ **

 

“Uh, I don’t feel great about that. Should we just skip the after school hangout?” Jeremy asked.

 

“Yeah, I don’t either. Make up tomorrow?” Michael suggested.

 

“Totally.”

 

Michael waved Jeremy goodbye and Tikki took Jeremy’s seat.

 

“You made the right choice. Don’t listen to your doubtful voices. You did the right thing,” Tikki reassured him.

 

“Then why does it rarely feel like it?” Michael asked, a palm on his forehead.

 

-

 

Falling.

 

Oh, God, he was really falling.

 

Will he die?

 

Was he regretting letting go?

 

Evan’s arm crunched when he hit the ground. The sun burned overhead and his right arm send millions of jolts of pain. He could barely move it. He could barely think. That fall took the oxygen right out of his body and he couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed at the cloud.

 

He had to reach across his stomach to get his phone out. Thankfully, his arms got his phone out and he opened his phone with touch ID.

 

“Siri, call mom,” Evan said, his voice breaking slightly. If he was more conscious or clever, he would’ve called 911

 

“Calling…” Siri’s voice rang out. He did it.

 

The phone rang.

 

Evan blinked twice.

 

It rang again.

 

“Pick up…”

 

It rang one more time.

 

“Hi, you’ve reached Heidi Hansen. Please leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”

 

“Siri, call mom!” Evan tried again.

 

“Calling…”

 

His breathing only got heavier. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

 

Three rings.

 

“Hi, you’ve reached Heidi Hansen. Please leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”

 

Calling 911 did cross his mind, but Evan was lost in his own head. Maybe deep down, he knew it wasn’t his mom’s fault, but he never felt more lonely. It reminded him of a line from a book he once read. He didn’t do much besides read books.

 

“When you’re falling in a forest, and there’s nobody around. Do you ever really crash? Or even make a sound?”

 

Evan couldn’t even looked up at his screwed up arm. Oh, God, the answer was no. No one heard him. No one was going to hear him. He didn’t want to move. He wanted help. Someone please help. Please. Please. Help.

 

Evan ripped a bit of his shirt and ultimately decided that help wasn’t coming. Would probably never come. He made a crappy knot around his arm and forced himself up without causing any more damage. Maybe his boss was around.

 

-

 

“Seems like he’s calmed down for the time being. Let’s try this one, instead. A lonely boy who feels abandoned by the one person he can trust. Perfect prey to be devoured by my akuma."

 

-

 

It flew inside Evan’s makeshift cast while he was stumbling. His forlorn and solemn look turned twisted with anger as dark as the abyss.

 

“Hello, Pan. Your request has been made loud and clear,” Squip told him. “With my help, you won’t ever be abandoned by the ones you love ever again. I will give you the power to do whatever you’d wish, but on one condition: bring me the Miraculouses of Cat Noir and Ladybug.”

 

“I won’t be alone?” Evan seemed unsure, his old persona bleeding in.

 

“I’m sure.”

 

Without even a moment’s hesitation. “Give me your strength.”

 

-

 

“Akuma down near a pizza shop. Calls himself Pan. God of the wild?” Jeremy tilted his head. “Plagg, claws out,” he said dejectedly.

 

Was that Dustin?

 

Plagg moaned and groaned as he got sucked into the ring. Jeremy jumped out of his house and spun through the air, his pole pushing him forward and upwards.

 

Ladybug was already there, fighting their enemy.

 

He was completely covered in leaves except for two big yellow eyes that glowed ominously. Every movement shook off a leaf or two, but then they would fly back onto his body. He made chittering sounds. Weren’t those called skitters? Chirps? Whatever.

 

“I will eradicate this disease we called humanity.” His voice was oddly calm. “From ashes, trees will spring to life. Every animal we’ve driven extinct will be saved. From time, our greatest creations will fall to rubble and return to the earth. From spilled blood, the earth will restore herself. Once this is all over, I will end myself and the Squip’s reign.”

 

“Pan! You will obey me or your powers will disappear! Take their Miraculouses!” Squip demanded. In his household, bugs circled him along with open flora and other plants that were ready to strangle and poison him.

 

“You’re out of your element, Squip. Evan Hansen is locked away, and Pan will save this world. Don’t worry, though. Once I get the Miraculouses, I’ll wish away the humans and no innocent creatures will be hurt,” Pan promised. “I won’t be hurt, either. The trees, the skies, the oceans, the birds, the bees, the insects, the plants, and the earth itself resonates with me. I can feel it all. So much energy, and we’re sapping it away like parasites. So, Ladybug and Cat Noir! Instead of fighting me, you will fight of all nature!” He promised. “Nature is calling, everyone! Do you hear me? Nature will take its course! I’m just speeding it along!”

 

“Talk about a megalomaniac,” Cat Noir spun his pole defensively.

 

“Cat Noir, we’re doing Black Tornado,” Ladybug said.

 

“Okay,” he nodded firmly.

 

Ladybug swung to the top of the pizza shop while Cat Noir charged Pan straight on. He stood still and a plant shot up in front of him to block Cat Noir’s swing. Ten more plants broke free from the concrete, and he batted them away successfully.

 

“Ladybug, I think we need a weed cutter!” Cat Noir tried multiple angles to hit Pan from, but he seemed to be aware of every single one of his moves.

 

“Hah!” Ladybug shot his yo-yo towards his face. Pan moved his head out of the way. Cat Noir jumped up next to Ladybug and stared at the akuma who still hadn’t moved.

 

“How are we even supposed to find the akuma? He’s covered in leaves!” Ladybug groaned. He checked behind them in case he wanted to make any sneaky plays.

 

“I think he’s like Toph. Except he isn’t blind. Or maybe like Gaea from Percy Jackson. Either way, they both had one crucial weakness,” Cat Noir let the thought hang in the air.

 

“Ah!” Ladybug realized. “Pretty lucky you thought of that. For a black cat,” Ladybug grinned promiscuously.

 

“Why, thank you,” he whispered.

 

“Thank each other if you win,” Pan turned towards them and clapped his hands. The leaves from his body formed two golems with beady red eyes. It revealed his main body.

 

Pan was made out of logs and woods. He had white bandages all over his body. Like casts or something. The beetle-like eyes only glowed brighter. There were no humanoid features on him besides the arms and legs that vaguely outlined his shape. His face was made out of the darkest wood while his legs had the lightest. Like a blend of sorts with the middle being somewhat dark yet light. If that made sense. His hands were just stumps. Then again, did he need them if he was a fucking phytokinetic?

 

The two golems jumped and Ladybug and Cat Noir looked at each other.

 

“D and C!” They both shouted. Cat Noir ducked under Ladybug and tackled the golem that was going for Ladybug. Ladybug threw his yo-yo at the other golem and threw it high in the air. When it fell down, he kicked it back up in the air like it was a game of paddle ball.

 

Cat Noir just beat the other golem with a metal stick. It wasn’t very elegant. Then again, laughing while kicking a golem up in the air multiple times wasn’t the most graceful performance, either.

 

The akuma just sneered and made vines form from his hands. He ensnared Cat Noir who just smirked.

 

“Woops, cat’s back in the bag, huh?” He shrugged. Ladybug threw his yo-yo at Pan’s head and knocked him to the ground.

 

“Enough of this! You won’t get in my way!” Pan screeched. His entire body shook and so did the ground. Out from the concrete came a giant plant monster.

 

Standing at a hundred feet tall, a blue flower with a green-lipped smirk shot out of the ground. It had canine teeth only and it let out a green fluid that dissolved the ground. It roared like a dinosaur in Jurassic Park and the two heroes had to cover their ears.

 

“I think it’s time!” Ladybug decided. “Lucky Charm!” He chanted. Out came a gamer chair like he had in his room. “A gamer chair? What am I supposed to do with-duck!” Ladybug pushed Cat Noir’s head down before the plant could bitch slap his face. And by bitch slap, it would probably result in him losing his head.

 

“Think of a plan, milord!” Cat Noir hissed at him.

 

Ladybug looked around. The entire world was submerged into grade except…

 

Cat Noir.

 

The chair.

 

His yo-yo and his foot.

 

The roof.

 

Pan.

 

“Oh, duh! He has a limit to how much he can control. We’re going to use Bases Loaded and then Black Tornado.”

 

By the way, Ladybug and Cat Noir had some interesting names for their coordinated attacks.

 

Black Tornado referred to Cat Noir spinning his pole fast enough to create an updraft or fan of wind. Usually, Cat Noir was under the akuma.

 

D & C was literally just Divide and Conquer.

 

Bases Loaded was whenever one of them decided to hit the other with enough force like a baseball. They really liked that plan and used it multiple times. Like against Vermillion Kraken.

 

“Got it, milord!”

 

The plant monster lunged at them and the two escaped to the roof along with the chair.

 

“Grab as many bandages as you can!” Ladybug winked at him. He did a few backflips, circled around the chimney with his yo-yo, and kicked the chair.

 

“Woah~!” Cat Noir’s lips flapped in the wind.

 

The plant monster got in the way, but Cat Noir was prepared for that.

 

“Cataclysm!” He chanted. The black energy appeared in his hand and he slapped the monster in front of him. It crumbled into dust and Pan flinched. Right before Cat Noir landed, however, a giant root stopped his momentum completely.

 

“Heh,” Pan said.

 

Cat Noir stuck out his pole and spun it as fast as possible. The bandages and casts flew off his body and Ladybug was already there, breaking as many as possible.

 

“Stop that!” Pan demanded. He grabbed a few bandages, but Ladybug broke the one that was on his arm and the akuma flew out.

 

With an audible gasp, the akuma flew out and Pan’s body dissipated. Out came a lanky teenager with a polo shirt and khakis. He held his arm gingerly.

 

“Oh… my arm…” he whimpered quietly. “What...?”

 

“The akuma makes an exit, and it’s time to disappear!” Ladybug opened his yo-yo and activated his last power. He twisted it around, caught the akuma, and let it go free as a butterfly. “Seeya, little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!” He grabbed the stair and launched it into the air. Any damages caused to any street, house, or store disappeared. All the plants that didn’t belong vanished with the ladybugs.

 

“I…” Evan looked at everyone. “Shit…” He realized his situation. When his mom didn’t pick up his call, he lost it. Someone talked to him, right? The Squip? He talked to him. He was there when he was all alone. No one came to get him. No one came to get him.

 

“Hey, kid,” Ladybug leaned down next to him. “Actually, you look my age…” Ladybug trailed off. “Whatevs. Anyway, do you want me to help you to the hospital? Your akuma had a lot of bandages,” he murmured.

 

“I…” Ladybug’s Miraculous beeped and interrupted them.

 

“Fuck!” He cursed. “I’m really sorry. Call an ambulance, okay? There’s a free therapy session for akuma victims at the hospital, so go take one of those, okay? Trust me, it’s helped my friends a lot, uh… what’s your name?”

 

“Evan…”

 

“Evan. Nice name. Mine’s better,” Ladybug teased. Evan didn’t laugh. “Right… Well, I’m glad you’re alright.”

 

“Mmmhmm.”

 

Ladybug swung his yo-yo and ignored the reporters. That kid had worst stage fright than Jeremy did on a bad day. Maybe it was just shock? Then again, Ladybug did just leave him to the wolves.

 

Evan’s used to being left behind. Not that Ladybug would know… or care… not that anyone would…

 

...

 

_“A special action has been performed!”_

 

**_SANITY LEVEL: 85% ---- > 70%!_ **

 

In this world, people like Dustin and Evan were at the bottom of the food chain.

 

They were meant to be eaten.

 

-

 

“Well. That was a resounding failure,” Squip sighed.

 

-

 

“Oh, Tikki, I love you, but this job is so stressful!” Michael whined in the safety of his own house.

 

“Think about it this way! The only problems this weekend is the vocab quiz on Monday and possible akumas!” Tikki chirped.

 

“I mean, I guess… I might have to see my racist uncle and aunt Sunday, though. Meeting them for lunch. I’ll get to hear them bash Ladybug for liking boys. At least Jeremy doesn’t get harped on for that, anymore. I’ve been making my Ladybug interactions with him limited,” Michael sighed.

 

“You’re responsible for a lot of people, Michael. I won’t sugarcoat it. But you’re never alone. If you ever feel like you’re about to reach a breaking point, trust in Cat Noir or Jeremy. Okay?” Tikki rubbed against his cheek affectionately. Michael giggled at the ticklish motion.

 

“Pft. Okay, Tikki. Thank you. I have some cookies in that jar over there.” Michael pointed in the general direction of his messy room.

 

“YAS COOKIES!” Tikki charged into the jar. Michael snorted and pitied the fool who stopped Tikki from getting her cookies. Man, if Kwamis could get diabetes.

 

Michael flicked on the TV, his hoodie riding up a bit as he leaned back.. Shit, was he getting a six-pack?

 

Lit!

 

Being Ladybug really helped with the overall aesthetic, huh? He could probably woo a few people. He was currently standing tall at six foot zero and he was gaining muscle thiccness, too!

 

And Jeremy? Woo, damn. He must’ve been continuing those pushups because Michael had to force himself to stop staring when he took his shirt off during gym. Usually, they were forced into a shirts vs skins sort of situation, but they didn’t have to be as insecure about it anymore.

 

Well, Jeremy was always kinda of an anxious mess, especially since Chloe wolf-whistled as loudly as possible next to him. He usually asked to be put on shirts. After all, he was an anxious twink, but he was an anxious twink with… wait for it.

 

MUSCLES.

 

_“A special action has been performed!”_

 

**_SANITY LEVEL: 70% ---- > 71%!_ **

 

-

  
“You know, every time I hear something about Serena Williams and that tennis match, I get scared to give an opinion. Maybe I should watch that video?” Jeremy wondered. He saw a lot of Instagram posts about the tennis match, and he had no idea what the fuck was going on with all that.

 

Jeremy and politics didn’t mix. He found himself changing sides flippantly because they flew over his head and he had no idea how to stick to his gut feelings or how to feel confident in whatever stance he put his faith in.

 

“Before you cause an uproar online, check out this uproar online! There’s this weird video about a kid who eats sugar and a father who doesn’t let people eat! Apparently, he starves his family and-”

 

“Okay, I think I’m done with the Internet for the day!” Jeremy shut off his phone. His mouth wound shut, too. “And also, you’re done!”

 

“Fine, fine. Switch to Chopped, okay? They always put nasty ingredients in the basket, and I love~ it!”

 

Jeremy did a quick channel surf. He briefly saw a Spanish cooking show, Spongebob, The Dark Knight Rises, an akuma down in the local park, Teletubbies, Cho-

 

Woah, woah, woah.

 

Jeremy cycled back two channels.

 

“Reporting in on an akuma called The Personificator! He uses his phone and aims his blasts at inanimate objects to bring them to life! Trees have turned on people for cutting their brothers and sisters down! Toilets have mixed feelings about being used! Stoplights argue about what color to change! Cameras always feel full! Clothes argue with, quote unquote, smelly humans!” A female reporter yelled into the camera.

 

-

 

Seven minutes ago…

 

“Fucking stupid. Everyone but me is fucking stupid.” Dustin kicked the punching bag. He dodged it as it swung back. He wasn’t that stupid. “Those two nerds fucking making a joke out of me? I bet they fuck each other while laughing like the fags they are,” he muttered.

 

Dustin panted and hit his punching bag again.

 

“How can no one tell, though? Sure, I figured it out three days ago, but how does no one recognize their voices? They don’t even look different while in costume!” Dustin scoffed.

 

-

 

The window opened in Squip’s lair.

 

“And yet another emotionally ravaged teenager. He believes he knows the identities of my _favorite_ superheroes, as… ridiculous as it sounds… nevermind. Anyway, his pleas have been heard loud and clear. And hopefully, he will remain under my control, this time,” Squip growled. He used his power to contaminate the white butterfly in his palm. “Fly, my akuma! And evilize him!”

 

-

 

Dustin checked his phone. Madeline was laughing at his lost temper. She was smearing shit on his name and dragging it through Hell. God, fuck her.

 

“Ugh, what a bitch. How is she popular?” Dustin sneered.

 

The akuma landed in his phone. A purple butterfly outline appeared on his face.

 

“Why, hello, Personificator,” Squip murmured. “I have a quick task for you. With our powers, you will bring me the Miraculouses of Ladybug and Cat Noir. They appear to be earrings and a ring. With your power, you will be able to get their identities and fulfill your goal. Does that sound agreeable?” He asked.

 

“Agreeable? That’s perfect, Squip. Thank you very much,” he grinned wickedly. The miasma bubbled around him and transformed him in his basement into The Personificator.

 

-

 

Ladybug landed at the scene first.

 

“Oof!” He landed with a soft Roblox sound. Ladybug cracked his neck and swung his yo-yo defensively. Where was this guy?

 

Oh, shit, spidey sense… uh, buggy sense? Whatever. Ladybug ducked underneath a flash of purple light.

 

“Ah, Michael Mell. If it ain’t you,” The Personificator chuckled. Dear God, he was hard to look at.

 

Seriously.

 

Every time Michael blinked, his form changed. At one point, he would have a lizard’s tail and a lion’s face. One blink later, his face was one of a porcelain doll’s and his body would be made out of stone. The next time, his entire body would turn into a deep grey. Maybe it was a color he couldn’t see.

 

Basically, any exotic shape that Ladybug wanted to imagine him as would be his ‘form’, so he decided to focus on things that stayed the same.

 

“I’m Ladybug. Nothing more, nothing less,” Ladybug cooly answered. “I know this Michael kid, but I’m not him.”

 

“We’ll see after you give me your Miraculous!” The Personificator sent another purple light from his phone. Ladybug determined that to be where the akuma would be. He was afraid to block the attack, so he just dodged in any direction he could.

 

“Playing tag? Very amusing, Michael.”

 

Don’t get riled up. He took a deep breath and went behind a tree. As soon as he personified it, Ladybug sent out a yo-yo strike that hit him square in the chest. He didn’t move very far back, however.

 

“What the Hell?” Ladybug asked.

 

“You insignificant human! Get away from my roots!” A female voice chattered. Oh God, the tree was speaking. Ladybug thought he was high for a moment and remembered The Personificator’s power.

 

“How are you even speaking? You know what, don’t answer that, please?” Ladybug begged.

 

“It all started back with the Columbian Exchange-”

 

“Moving on!” Ladybug swung inside the park. “If you want my Miraculous, follow me!” He chirped.

 

Personificator ran after him, his feet changing into random shapes every few moments. At some point, he had crocs on his feet.

 

“Hey, Ladybug. Mind if I crash the party?”

 

“Sure, since everyone is!” A rose complained nearby.

 

“I’m already sick of these talking plants,” Ladybug deadpanned. “Also, I think I have phytophobia because of today.”

 

“Oh, sure, complain about us-” A violet started. Ladybug let out an exasperated sigh.

 

“Anyway, just don’t let any purple lights hit you. They’ll bring your shit to life,” Ladybug warned him with an odd solemness.

 

“This is certainly affecting you on a deeper level than I can imagine.”

 

Ladybug gave Cat Noir a tired stare. “I know.”

 

“Come out, come out, wherever-”

 

“Oh, pipe down, you confusingly shaped mongrel!” An oak tree shouted. “Mm, girls, this man, er, thing, is getting on my last nerve. Do you hear this dude? Thinking he can get on our good sides just because he created us? Mm-mm, no way, honey.”

 

The Personificator sent a yellow light at the tree. It stopped talking. All three of them silently thanked God.

 

“Uh, they’re over there,” a tulip said awkwardly.

 

The Personificator sent a purple blast their way. Cat Noir raised his hand to stop it after forgetting Ladybug’s warning and the blast hit his ring, somehow.

 

Immediately, his mask began peeling away and his ring vibrated.

 

“Get out of here. I’ll figure something out,” Ladybug promised. Shit, what did he just do to his Miraculous?

 

Cat Noir nodded and took off, his guise rapidly fading. Shit, what was happening? Why did his ring getting hit make it so he would lose his powers without even activating Cataclysm?

 

“Okay, Personificator. You’re not getting anywhere past me!” Ladybug pocketed his yo-yo and stuck out his fists. He briefly considered taking a wrestling class after the attack was over.

 

“Then, dance, you stubborn cockroach!”

 

-

 

Cat Noir de-transformed inside a bush. Plagg shot out of the ring and his body vibrated.

 

“Mr. Heere, I don’t feel so good! If this is my time to die, then all I have to say is… you should’ve…”

 

“Plagg?” Jeremy was genuinely concerned.

 

“Fed me more cheese…”

 

However, instead of fading to dust, Plagg expanded. A black light appeared in a humanoid form and out popped a human version of Plagg.

 

Jeremy had to admit he was kinda hot.

 

He had bright green eyes like Jeremy did when he was transformed. He had ruffled black hair that covered his pointy ears and almost reached the front part of his neck. Four long pieces of hair, two on each side, extended past his shoulders. He had sharp canines, tan skin, and he wore a black t-shirt, suit pants, and converse sneakers.

 

“Wha? Plagg?” Jeremy stared at him.

 

“I’m a human?” Plagg screeched. He didn’t lose his high-pitched voice. “Ugh, I hate this! So many hormones! The urge to urinate? Oh, ew, sexual feelings!”

 

Jeremy didn’t risk looking at Plagg’s pants. “Uh, Plagg? Sorry to say, but I think you’re fighting this one.”

 

“Wait, what?” Plagg stared at him with horror. “I don’t fight! I just transform you!”

 

“Aren’t you always aware of what I’m doing as Cat Noir?” Jeremy wondered.

 

“Well, yeah, but-”

 

“Go save the day!” Jeremy demanded. “My ring is pure white. Plagg, claws out!” Jeremy tried. Nothing happened.

 

“Myself, claws out?” He tilted his head. He transformed into the normal Cat Noir attire, but his bushy hair remained. He even had a ring on his finger!

 

“Looks like you’re the hero for the day.” Jeremy flashed him a supportive thumbs up.

 

“What are you talking about?” Plagg stamped his foot indignantly. “What are these?” He pointed at his feet.

 

“Feet. Some people have feet kinks."

 

“Ugh! I hate those words! I hate being human!”

 

“Can you just help out Ladybug, please?”

 

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!” Ladybug screeched from a distance. “Cat Noir, help!”

 

“Go help Ladybug!”

 

“Hugh…”

 

“I’ll feed you all the camembert you want tonight. We’ll empty the coffers. Now, get moving!” Jeremy pushed Plagg. He stumbled and rolled his eyes.

 

“Get moving,” Plagg mocked him under his breath. He jumped experimentally and nearly crashed into a tree.

 

Jeremy facepalmed.

 

-

 

“Ugh, Michael,” Tikki groaned. She got flung out of Michael’s earrings and he looked at them through his phone camera. They were pure white.

 

“Tikki, what’s happening?” Michael poked her body. He would’ve shook her, but she was too tiny for that.

 

“I…” Tikki trailed off. A red light enveloped Tikki, expanded, and out popped a girl.

 

She had a pixie cut along with red hair and wide blue eyes that held centuries of knowledge about Ladybugs. She had a thin face and pieces of hair that somehow fell perfectly on her face. She wore the Ladybug earrings and she also wore a black tank top with a Ladybug themed skirt.

 

If Michael was bisexual, he would definitely be enamored.

 

“Michael? I’m… I have hands!” Tikki screeched.

 

“Uh, Tikki? I think this is a job for you today,” Michael realized.

 

“What?” She yelled again. Man, she was using it. “I can’t _be_ Ladybug! I just transform you!”

 

“Aren’t you always telling me that whether I’m human or costumed, I’m Ladybug?” Michael tilted his head. “Whether you’re my mentor or helping me fight, you’re also Ladybug. Two halves of a whole. No Ladybug without you or me except this time, you’re Ladybug by yourself,” Michael tried to explain.

 

“That doesn’t-”

 

“Make sense. I know. Either way, you still have to fight, Tikki! You only have one thing to say!"

 

“Uh, myself, spots on?” Tikki tried. A flash of red light transformed Tikki into Ladybug. “That worked? Oh my Kwami, I need a cookie!”

 

“Later! Go fight!” Michael did a yo-yo throw impression. Tikki copied it and faceplanted against a tree.

 

Michael facepalmed.

 

-

 

“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” The Personificator cackled. The trees were talking about red and black blurs, so he just followed to wherever they said. Led. Whatever.

 

“You’re like a personification of chaos, if that’s what I had to choose,” a voice rang out.

 

“Who are you?” The Personificator asked.

 

Plagg leaned against the tree, a wicked smirk on his face along with a feral look in his eyes. “Cat Noir. You can just call me your nightmare, however."

 

The Personificator flicked his purple light at Plagg, but he missed. Plagg yawned and jumped down.

 

“I went through a bit of a wardrobe change and a power up,” he lied. “This forest is too natural and clean for me. Synthetic and processed things are much better for my nose.”

 

The Personificator knitted his eyebrows and raised his lion paw. He slammed his bird claw down on Cat Noir and he fell to the ground, missing him completely.

 

“Aw, poor akuma can’t even hit me? You’re dealing with some bad luck, huh?” Plagg tilted his head up. With a murderous grin, he raised his pole over his head and smacked The Personificator into a tree.

 

“Watch out, watch out, watch out!” A red blur crashed into Plagg and they rolled on the ground for a few meters.

 

“Ow! You got me right in the cheese hole!” Plagg groaned.

 

“I’m sorry! I’m having a bit of an off-day. Sex change and all,” Tikki murmured.

 

“Wait, Ladybug is a girl now?” The Personificator squawked. “Did those two ditch their Miraculouses to some strangers?”

 

“What strangers could we be? It’s a powerup!” Ladybug lied, too. “Anyway, my identity isn’t Michael Mell.”

 

“What is it then?”

 

“It’s none of your cheese wax.” Plagg wiggled his eyebrows. Tikki facepalmed.

 

“Hiya!” The Personificator swiped up from his phone and sent out another purple blast.

 

The two dodged in opposite directions and got back into battle mode.

 

“I have faith in you, Cat Noir. Always have, always will,” Tikki flashed him an award winning grin.

 

“You’re too peppy for my tastes. This boost in power isn’t good for your sanity,” Plagg scrunched up his face.

 

“What powerup?” The Personificator demanded.

 

“Just the one where you suffer under bad luck and we get some of that stinky as cheese good luck,” Plagg smirked. He actually had no idea what was helping their chances. Maybe becoming what he personified made his powers grow?

 

…

  
What the Hell did that last statement even mean?

 

“Luck isn’t real!” The Personificator argued.

 

“Only if you believe it isn’t. Believing in yourself is more important than any dose of luck, good or bad.” Tikki stamped her foot.

 

“You can talk philosophy later. Get their Miraculouses!” Squip interrupted with the purple butterfly outline.

 

“Right.”

 

He flicked out more purple lights that Plagg lazily dodged. He stumbled, yawned, tripped, and bent in odd directions to dodge. There was no rhythm, no grace, no beauty.

 

Tikki, on the other hand, spun through the air. She jumped and always knew what she would do and planned three steps ahead. Like a ballerina in the middle of a recital. With every heavy impact, she would leave behind a tiny yet live Ladybug.

 

“Stop. Moving,” The Personificator growled.

 

“Getting a bit tired, huh? Black cat crosses your path, now your whole day is going to shit,” Plagg taunted.

 

“Pla-Cat Noir,” Tikki scolded. His attitude wasn’t one that was great for dealing with akumas. At least when the real Cat Noir taunted, it was limited. Plagg was the unrestricted extent of Cat Noir. Tikki and Ladybug were similar due to her positive yet stern nature, but there were differences there, too.

 

“Y’all are acting ca-razy! Girls, you getting this?” A tree asked.

 

“Cataclysm.” Plagg shoved his hand on that tree.

 

“Cat Noir!” Ladybug resisted the urge to fire her yoyo at his head. “Lucky Charm!” Her yo-yo went high up in the air and spit out a Ladybug themed…

 

Roll of tape?

 

“Duct tape? What are you supposed to do with that mess?” Plagg asked. He pushed Tikki’s head down before a blast could hit her.

 

“I don’t have Spotted Vision like my… original self,” Tikki whispered. “But I’m going to try to bind his hands. Somehow.”

 

“Do it soon. I’m about to transform back,” Plagg showed off his three paw prints.

 

Okay, ‘Ladybug’ was about to lose it. “That was your own- just go distract him!”

 

Plagg mocked Tikki under his breath and jumped towards the Personificator. He deflected a purple blast and The Personificator caught his pole with a clap of his hands.

 

“Hey, can you guys not touch me like that? It’s making me kind of hot…” The pole blushed shyly.

 

They both dropped the pole, disgust laced across their features.

 

Tikki jumped down from a tree branch and duct-taped The Personificator’s hands. Plagg grabbed the phone and passed it to Tikki who had her hands full.

 

So what did she do? She bit down on it and spit it out.

 

“Even I wouldn’t do that,” Plagg cringed. He liked stinky foods, not cellphones.

 

Either way, the akuma flew out.

 

“No more evil doing for you, little akuma.” Tikki opened her yoyo. She spun it around and an arc of white light appeared. “It’s time to de-evilize!” She threw the yo-yo at it and returned the captured akuma to her hand. “Gotcha!” After a few seconds passed, she opened the yo-yo and the white butterfly flew out. “Bye bye, little akuma. Miraculous Ladybug!” She waved it goodbye and chucked the tape up in the air. Anything that shouldn’t have been able to speak stopped, and any damages to the environment were completely restored.

 

Not Tikki and Plagg, however.

 

“Michael?” Jeremy squawked.

 

“Jeremy? What are you doing here?” Michael froze. How was he going to get Tikki out of this?

 

Dustin stared at the four of them. Ladybug and Cat Noir. Michael and Jeremy.

 

They were _separate._

 

“Oh… crap. I really was wrong, huh?” Dustin rubbed his head. “Michael, Jeremy, I’m sorry. I won’t bother you anymore.”

 

The two seniors inwardly sighed. That was one problem gone, at least. Now, how were they getting Tikki and Plagg out?

 

“Jeremy you should probably go-”

 

“Michael we should split up-”

 

They started speaking at the same time. They realized that they had the same ideas and took off in different directions. Ladybug went in a slightly different direction than Michael did and that was what Cat Noir did with Jeremy.

 

Dustin sat on the ground and stared at the now quiet forest. All the commotion must’ve scared off… everything, really. Still, the quiet was deafening. Dustin couldn’t believe that he was wrong.

 

He wasn’t crazy, though. He knew for sure their voices were the same, so how were they separate? Was he just a psychopath or was he being gaslighted?

 

Something to think on, at least...

 

-

 

“As I suspected, Jeremy and Michael aren’t… thankfully,” Squip sighed. “Looks like today was a complete failure. Either way, there will come a day where Ladybug and Cat noir will be unable to handle the akuma,” he promised. "Even with those power ups... I need to know more about those strange powers if I want to increase my odds of succeeding."

 

The window closed.

 

-

 

Jeremy ran into Michael again at the site where Pan was.

 

“Why were you in the forest?” They asked at the same time.

 

“I was in there because I got… lost,” Jeremy lied.

 

“I wanted to record the fight for Jenna to get her to owe me a favor.”

 

They both looked at each other and sighed.

 

Michael spoke up again, “Don’t scare me like that. As stupid as you are, you’re still my best friend.”

 

“Yeah, you too. Sorry.”

 

An awkward silence formed a cloud over them. Michael puts his hands in his pockets and Jeremy dragged his feet back.

 

“Do you want to come over and play video games?” Michael wondered.

 

Jeremy nodded shyly. He felt bad for making Michael feel bad, but then the taller stuck out his hand.

 

“Don’t look so downcast about it,” Michael chuckled.

 

“Who is downcast?” Jeremy shook his head, took Michael’s hand, and smirked.

 

“Furry.”

 

“Weeb.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is sanity level? What do those last few lines mean? What happened with the akuma with Mr. Reyes?
> 
> Those are questions I will not be answering.
> 
> Also I just used Tikki and Plagg interchangeably with Ladybug and Cat Noir because I'm lazy oops.
> 
> Fun fact, too! Evan's original akuma name was "Ent" which is a tree demon or something!


	12. Rena Rouge - Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar plotline if you've seen the show, and a definitely interesting chapter if you haven't!
> 
> Well, either way, I hope this chapter is lit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm an honor's student and I'm helping out with a bunch of after school things, so I have no time for writing. I'm also writing my own original book about superheroes so I'll just go ahead and throw my fanfiction career out the window.
> 
> Kidding. Updates will just be a lot slower. Next chapter will be a lot less angsty if I can actually get to it. I haven't even started it lol.

“So, whose life should I ruin today?” Madeline asked. Her dark brown hair was done up in a ponytail. She had a sharp chin and a thin face. Chloe described it as being rat-like. She could shut the fuck up. Her brown eyes were sharp and calculating. Her only talent, according to Chloe, is stirring up drama and problems. Which wasn’t very far off from the truth. Not that Madeline cared.

 

“Why are you like this?” Her friend, Terra, asked. “Why can’t you just be nice to people?” Terra had dyed blonde hair to model herself after Terra from Teen Titans. The good one.

 

“Because I don’t have to be. Guys fall at my feet over my French accent,” Madeline shrugged. “Also, did you see this cool thing I found?” She grinned.

 

Madeline took out a necklace with a fox shaped tail on it. Terra oohed and ahhed at it.

 

“Apparently, my mother said it’s a special pendant. One that enchants people and gives the illusion of grace when you wear it,” Madeline explained.

 

“It’s pretty, I’ll give you that,” Terra admitted. “Wear it!”

 

Madeline snapped it on and looked in the bathroom mirror. They were supposed to be in History, but that class was boring as shit.

 

“Wait, I got it!” Madeline realized. “Next time Ladybug and Jeremy talk, I should-”

 

“You’re going to cozy up to Jeremy Heere?” Terra tilted her head. She had nothing against him, but he was a bit… weird? Strange? His Humiliation Papers or whatever creeped her out. It baffled her how Ladybug ‘loved’ him. “Wait, they haven’t even been talking as much.”

 

“Duh!” Madeline stared at her like she was a fucking idiot. “It’s because of the secret identity crap! Don’t you watch Arrow or Flash?”

 

“No, but-”

 

“Still, the press are always over Jeremy, right? Being friends with him means famous by default!” She explained. “Also, I would bet my implants that Ladybug and Jeremy still meet up, multiple connotations to that phrase, somehow.”

 

Terra didn’t like arguing with Madeline. She silently accepted her and goaded her into her path of self-destructive behavior by enabling it. To her, it just wasn’t worth the effort. As odd as it sounded, Terra had no way to break off their friendship that wouldn’t seem out-of-place. There was no real ‘reason’ to stop hanging out with her, but Terra would almost always choose the other person when it came to hanging out or whatever.

 

“If it goes wrong, it goes wrong. It’s not like I’ll walk up to him and threaten him. That’s not going to work,” Madeline scoffed. “I may be bad at school, but I’m not retarded or anything.”

 

“I’m not denying or accepting your plan. I remain a spectator,” Terra raised her hands in surrender.

 

-

 

“Watch out!” Cat Noir smacked a piece of concrete up in the air and the forest nearby captured it. A building started collapsing after a bunch of thugs didn’t activate all of their explosives on it. Some sort of revenge after a certain business got closed down.

 

And then he saw Michael Mell, sitting in the comic book store, his headphones in. Was it soundproof in there or did everyone else not care or hear what was going on? He saw a large piece of concrete head towards it and Cataclysm’d it.

 

“Cat Noir! Cat Noir! Cat Noir!” A few people chanted.

 

“What are you guys doing? Get away from this building gets destroyed!”

 

“Hey, Cat Noir!” Ladybug jumped up on a rooftop nearby about… a minute later, maybe. “What happened?”

 

“I’m going to change back, so you’re handling the freaking concrete flying everywhere! I’ll come back soon, okay?” Cat Noir promised. Ladybug grabbed a piece of concrete with his yo-yo and sent it hurtling towards an empty plot of ground.

 

Cat Noir jumped into an alley. “Plagg, claws in.”

 

“Look, kid-” Plagg started. “I’m starving. You’ve got to get me some cheese.”

 

“I should have-” Jeremy froze. “Shit.”

 

Jeremy ran out and watched Ladybug grab more pieces. The situation was calming down, and the police were there, surrounding the criminals. It should’ve been okay, but he didn’t want to risk-

 

“Jeremy!” Madeline stopped him.

 

“Oh, hi, Madeline. Uh, I wanted to-” Jeremy froze. What the fuck was that on her neck? The pendant of the fox?

 

“Oh, you noticed this? I had to tell you something, but just you, okay? I’m telling you since I can’t really tell Ladybug, but… anyway-” Madeline cleared her throat. “I got this pendant. I don’t know how, but I just found it!”

 

“You’re… a superhero?” Jeremy wasn’t astounded, he was concerned. Fu lost a Miraculous? And of all people, it ended up in her hands?

 

“That’s why I wanted you to put in a good word for me Ladybug since you two are close. I’m not ready to practice my powers in a real-life situation, so it’s just… you get what I mean, don’t you?” Madeline asked.

 

No, he really didn’t. First of all, her kwami would’ve warned her to not reveal her identity to anyone. Second of all, the fox pendant was in the chest, so _how did she get it?_ Plagg was poking the back of his neck, and Jeremy flipped him off behind his back. He couldn’t be distracted! Madeline had a Miraculous, and she was breaking the rules already!

 

“That’s pretty wild!” Jeremy said instead. He couldn’t be aware of those rules or it would be obvious that his connection with Ladybug ran deeper than just mutual crushes that were forced to pine. “Shouldn’t you keep this on the extreme down-low, though?”

 

“I know you won’t tell anyone, but I just want you to put in a good word. Like, tell him to expect a foxy lady to show up!” Madeline suggested.

 

“Um, Ladybug and I aren’t as close as usual, so-”

 

“Hi~!” Ladybug came back down and did a few backflips in mid-air before landing on his feet perfectly.

 

“Ladybug, Ladybug, tell us about the situation! Why were you late?”

 

“I was just a bit far, that’s all. Cat Noir handled the situation well, so I’m glad for his quick response. Wherever you are, pussycat, thanks!” He called out.

 

“You didn’t even have to use Lucky Charm! Actually, that made me think of something-” Jenna realized. “Have you been offered to join anyone on TV? Like Jimmy Fallon, for example?”

 

“Ah, no. It would be cool to show up on Ellen or whatever, but I haven’t received any offers. Besides, I wouldn’t want to abandon you guys. I love it here!” Ladybug winked at the camera. Jeremy rolled his eyes.

 

“Is he always like that?”

 

“No, he’s-” Jeremy cut himself off. “I… Sorry, I’d rather not talk about it,” he admitted.

 

Madeline wanted to push, but her plan was working. Jeremy seemed compliant, so it would only be detrimental to her path to fame if she kept it up.

 

Eh, fuck it.

 

“Come on, you can tell me. What is he like?” Madeline asked, putting on an expression of innocent curiosity.

 

“It’s easier if we don’t talk,” Jeremy said. Madeline wasn’t sure if he meant them two or Ladybug and him. “Look, just… practice your powers, I guess? I won’t tell anyone, but… uh, good luck?” That was really ironic, considering black cats.

 

“Thanks!”

 

-

  
“Wang Fu?” Jeremy knocked on the door.

 

“Come in, Jeremy.”

 

“Hi,” Jeremy said. “I know I’m not supposed to come here, but it’s an emergency. A random civilian has the fox Miraculous!”

 

“Impossible!” Wang Fu’s eyes widened. He opened his phonograph and a bunch of multi-colored boxes shot out of it like drawers in a desk. Then, an octagon appeared with a flower with five petals in the middle. In the middle part laid a yin-yang symbol with a ladybug symbol on the black part and a paw-print on the white part. A fox pendant and a bee hair clip or whatever were the only jewels out of the seven.

 

“Oh, thank God. It’s fake,” Jeremy sighed. “Wait, why would she lie about having the fox Miraculous? And why tell me?”

 

“Oh, kid. You don’t get women,” Plagg shook his head. “I’ve been trying to say that she’s not interested in you, she’s interested in your civilian connection to ladybug.”

 

“My-oh… Oh!” Jeremy realized. His expression turned sour and pissed. “That conniving bitch!”

 

“Jeremy, language,” Wang Fu said. Jeremy apologized. “I understand your frustration and concern. You should handle this situation with tact. Publicly outing her might result in an akuma attack.”

 

“Ugh, I know. I’m sorry to doubt you. I just couldn’t believe that someone would just willingly tell their identity to a random person,” Jeremy sighed.

 

“Do you feel that breeze, Jeremy?” His skin had goosebumps on it.

 

“No, why?” Jeremy asked.

 

“Nevermind, then. You should go, now. If you’re ever in any need of assistance, my door is open. I trust you to not abuse this,” Wang Fu said.

 

“Of course!” Jeremy nodded. He ran out and Wang Fu sighed, too.

 

“Wayzz?”

 

“Yes, Master Fu?”

 

“I think the day may come soon where I will have to fight.”

 

“What? Why, master? You know how dangerous-”

 

“Sometimes,” Fu gently cut him off. “There will be threats too large for Ladybug and Cat Noir. This girl with a fake Miraculous reminded me of that. The better question is how she got a fake in the first place.”

 

“Yes, that is quite unsettling. I pray for a coincidence, but those never seem to be coincidences, do they?” He asked.

 

“No. Unfortunately, not.”

 

-

 

Two akuma attacks later, Jeremy found himself in Ladybug’s arms.

 

“Shit, you alright?” A large puddle of slime nearly landed on Jeremy.

 

“Yeah, I should get out of here. Heh, Heere. Wait, that’s my last name. That’s not funny,” Jeremy murmured. Ladybug let out a barking laugh.

 

“Don’t worry. Cat Noir will be back soon to help me finish this. I still can’t believe he used Cataclysm on me. I could’ve broken free!”

 

“No you couldn’t have.”

 

Michael glared at him playfully. “Don’t make me throw you into a slime.”

 

Jeremy raised up his hands in surrender and the other ran off.

 

“Jeremy.”

 

He froze just as he got behind a tree.

 

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be hiding from the freaking slimy akuma?” Jeremy screeched. Plagg facepalmed from inside his pocket.

 

“I was thinking of transforming, but I got scared. Sorry.” Madeline went behind the tree, too.

 

Ah, right, the bullshit. “That sucks. Hey, what are your powers, anyway?”

 

“Oh! It’s like a huge boost in physical abilities. Particularly jumping and running,” she said.

 

Okay, that was believable, honestly. “What about your power… thing? Like how Cat Noir has Cataclysm?”

 

“Oh, that? Haven’t tested it out. It’s called Overdrive or something,” she said.

 

“I honestly think you should transform. Ladybug would be ecstatic to have a partner,” Jeremy said. A Cat Noir shaped partner, but that was just details.

 

“Oh, I couldn’t. I’m too nervous.”

 

“Can you at least try? For me?”

 

“Did you at least talk to him about me?” Madeline changed the subject.

 

“Madeline, it’s not like that.” Jeremy just remembered how she caused him to be akumatized. He took a deep breath and shuddered. “At best, Ladybug and I are just friends. That’s really stretching it."

 

“Jeremy, that’s bullshit! You two were flirting over there! And he literally loves you, and everyone knows you like him back, so whether you like it or not, that’s the tea!”

 

“It’s not like that!” Jeremy stamped his foot like an indignant child. His palms were greasy and sweaty, so he rubbed him on his legs. “Ladybug doesn’t love someone like me! It was just the akuma’s power messing with his head, I guess! I don’t even know who he is!” Did Jeremy’s voice break a little?

 

“You’re not trying hard enough to get his attention! I can help with that crap, and you two can have your happy ever after!” Madeline offered.

 

“I respect the fact that he’s trying to protect me. It’s a superhero things we see all the time. I’m safer by not knowing! What if I got akumatized again?” Jeremy asked.

 

“Mary Jane Watson knew who Peter was. Iris West knew who Barry was. Lois Lane knew who Clark Kent was. They were all reporters who got in the center of the action and got in danger! You’re never in danger!”

 

“Are you calling me cowardly? Also, this is real life, Madeline! A real life where people could get possessed. That wasn’t a concern with Mary Jane! If I revealed Ladybug’s identity, I’d never forgive myself. I’m safer not knowing, and that’s final!”

 

Ladybug had long defeated the akuma. He got a lucky shot in without Lucky Charm. He saw Jeremy and Madeline arguing, and considered swinging in to greet them, completely oblivious of the situation.

 

“Oh, hi, Ladybug!” Madeline put on a wide grin. “How’s the boyfriend?”

 

“Ladybug, you should leave,” Jeremy growled.

 

“Uh, you two okay?” He asked. Jeremy looked downcast at seeing him. Did he do something wrong?

 

“We’re fine. I’m just trying to convince him that you two should be together!”

 

“Madeline, cut it out!”

 

“And that reminds me. Look at this,” Madeline said. She flashed her pendant.

 

“A… fox tail?” Ladybug tilted his dumbly.

 

“It’s a Miraculous, silly!” She giggled. His jaw dropped.

 

Jeremy clenched his fist and turned to Ladybug. “It’s bullshit. She’s just trying to absorb our attention and get her time in the spotlight. She isn’t a hero. She refuses to transform, anyway. Besides, aren’t you guys sworn to secrecy?” Jeremy didn’t mean to sound so bitter on the last line. He unconsciously hid his hand with the ring in his pocket.

 

“I’m not faking it!”

 

“Yes you are, you bitch! What person would choose you to be a hero when you akumatize people so often? Including me!” Jeremy scoffed. “Fucking Mr. Reyes would make a better superhero!”

 

Madeline fumed at that and stamped off, a few tears in her eyes. “You cunt!” She shouted back.

 

“Shut the fuck up, you poser!” Jeremy couldn’t help but scream back.

 

“Look, I don’t know what baggage you two have, but a screaming match won’t help anything,” Ladybug bit his tongue on that line. Michael knew what happened. Michael knew exactly what happened between the two of them, not Ladybug.

 

Jeremy looked up at Ladybug and the absolute betrayal in his eyes made his heart break. Shit, maybe he should’ve just taken Jeremy’s side.

 

-

 

“A teenage boy having…” Squip stopped talking. He coated the butterfly in miasma and sent it off into the sky without any additional dialogue.

 

-

 

“And… she caused Dustin to be akumatized. She did so many bad things, and she keeps on lying, and people keep using me just because we like each other and it fucking sucks!” Jeremy sobbed into Ladybug’s shoulder. Ladybug kept his arms around the shaky man. He rubbed his back and ran a hand through his hair and whispered nonsense that seemed kind in his ear.

 

“I’m sorry. I really am. Trust me when I say that I never asked for you to get caught in the cross-fire.”

 

“It’s not you!” Jeremy’s voice croaked. “It’s really not!” He sniffled and rubbed his red nose on his sleeve. “Fucking Christ, it’s just these shitty akumas and possessions and the fact that your secret is valuable and that I could blow it for you.” Jeremy started laughing hysterically. “Why is it just so hard to be happy?”

 

“I know. I know. I really want you to be happy,” Ladybug promised. He leaned against the trunk of the tree and just let him sob for a few minutes. The akuma circled overhead until it finally left.

 

-

 

“Not too surprising. Just go to the other, then.”

 

-

  
“Dammit, dammit, dammit,” Madeline grumbled. She gripped the pendant and nearly smashed it into pieces. She brooded from behind a tree and hyperventilated. “I’m going to ruin Jeremy’s life for that one. Little fucking cunt.”

 

The akuma flew into her necklace. The purple outline formed over her face as it darkened considerably.

 

“Hello, Rena Rouge. You just want to be recognized and given the fame you deserve, right? You can do that by becoming like Ladybug and Cat Noir and then soaring even higher than them. Your powers of illusion will deceive and control them. All you have to do for me is grab their Miraculouses,” Squip promised.

 

Madeline stared at the ground in shock before a feral grin placed itself on her face. “Let’s pounce, then.”

 

The miasma coated her body.

 

-

 

Ladybug had to go before his Miraculous ran out. Jeremy went to Seven-Eleven and leaned against his chair, his eyes red and his face downcast.

 

No point in denying it. He loved Ladybug. It was more than him just being a superhero. It was easy to lie and flirt and act weird with him with the mask on, but with it off, it just…

 

Whatever. Jeremy’s thoughts weren’t making much sense.

 

He looked up at the sky and saw a gigantic meteor. It crackled and burned through the sky as it rushed towards the store.

 

How unlucky could he get?

 

“Everyone, get to cover!” Jeremy desperately shouted. He wasn’t sure of what to do in case meteors came storming down, but he had to react somehow. He hoped Ladybug was nearby.

 

He ran inside the bathroom. “Plagg, claws out! Code red!”

 

Jeremy transformed and escaped through the window on top. He climbed to the top of the store and twirled his pole experimentally, wondering if a black tornado would work.

 

“Cat Noir!” Ladybug jumped next to him. “God, these attacks are getting-”

 

They saw a flash of orange light burn through the sky, and they couldn’t help but be equally astounded and confused.

 

Someone pushed back the meteor and then kicked it back to the sky in an orange blaze that contrasted the infinite blue.

 

“Make way, Montclair! Rena Rouge has joined the party!” She cheered.

 

The townspeople chanted her name. Cat Noir and Ladybug gave each other looks.

 

“I guess she really is a superhero. Huh. Didn’t expect that,” Ladybug muttered. “But okay!”

 

“How-” Cat Noir shut his mouth. “This is super weird. Where did she come from?”

 

“I mean, does it matter? Who you are, not what your lineage is or whatever?” Ladybug suggested. “I think I know who she is, really, but I’m willing to give her a chance. She might just have some home troubles.”

 

Cat Noir couldn’t argue without looking suspicious. And, wait, he knew who she was? Whatever. He was surprised that Ladybug was so willing to accept this new superhero. The orange blur came down next to them.

 

Rena Rouge had two fox-like tails on the sides of her head. Her orange mask was like a blindfold ninjas wore and her costume’s chest and stomach were white and its ‘fur’ was orange. She had twin tails that extended off the back of her costume and a long sash covering part of her stomach. Her hair was long and more maroon as it went down and she wore leather boots and held a flute in hand.

 

“Rena Rouge, in the flesh. Hello, Ladybug. Meowvelous to meet you, Cat Noir,” she flirted.

 

Cat Noir silently apologized for all of his awful puns. He was still going to make them, but now he knew what the pain was like. And it was not good.

 

“Hi, Rena Rouge. Red Fox. Whatever,” Ladybug shrugged.

 

“Ah, so you take French?” She asked. Ugh, that horrific French accent. How disgusting. It reminded him of a certain someone.

 

“I’m not fluent, but I recognize stuff,” Ladybug said.

 

“Well, if you ever need any superhero tips, I’m going to stick around for a while,” Rena Rouge sighed contently.

 

“So, you just arrived?” Cat Noir quizzed her.

 

“I’ve been doing this for a short while in another towns. I normally disguise myself, but I decided that when I would come her, Rena would make an entrance,” she explained.

 

“Weird. I follow a lot of news stories. Never heard of any flying people. Well, there was that one pigeon akuma…” Cat Noir murmured.

 

“It’s whatevs,” Ladybug said, sensing the obvious tension.

 

Rena Rouge suddenly gasped. “Look! Squip!”

 

A man in a silver helmet and purple outfit perched himself on top of the library. Ladybug and Cat Noir gasped.

 

“If he’s finally here, that means we can take him down. All three of us. Let’s go!”

 

Rena Rouge flew off and the two heroes quickly followed her. They ended up hiding in a tree.

 

“So, Rena, what’s your Miraculous?” Ladybug asked innocently.

 

“This pendant.” She tapped on it a few times.

 

“And the powers?” Cat Noir turned to her.

 

“Flight, super strength, and something called Demon Drive.”

 

“Uh-huh,” Cat Noir nodded. This was sounding familiar. He felt stupid for not knowing, but there was something wrong.

 

“What? Is there a problem?” She asked, her orange lips curling up a bit.

 

“Not at all.” Cat Noir squinted. “I’ll take left, Ladybug goes behind, and Rena takes right.”

 

“Rena Rouge goes right. Funny.”

 

Cat Noir rolled his eyes and the three split up. When Cat Noir got close, Squip turned into a purple blur and ran away.

 

“What the Hell? Get back!” Ladybug chased after him.

 

Meanwhile, Rena Rouge landed behind a building where her real self was waiting. She dispersed the illusion. After all, only fake things could touch each other. She used her flute to play a haunting melody that created a second Squip to send Cat Noir off, too.

 

Time for part three.

 

-

 

“I’m so sick of this already.” Ladybug groaned. He resisted the urge to Lucky Charm it as his cloudy thoughts on Jeremy and Cat Noir’s behaviors were bothering him. He shook his head and had to focus.

 

“I’m going to call Ladybug at this rate,” Cat Noir grumbled. He didn’t trust Ladybug to be alone with Rena for too long. She was way too suspicious.

 

He landed on an apartment complex. He heard a wire click and a few metal gears start spinning and turning. All of a sudden, guns, grenades, and rockets pointed directly at him. He took out his pole instinctively, but then, Rena Rouge showed up nearby.

 

“Hey, kitty, kitty. Caught in the cage, aren’t you? If only you were Jeremy,” she sighed.

 

“Madeline?” Cat Noir growled. How did he not figure that much out? He was blind as a bat.

 

“Yeah, that’s me. Jeremy denied me, and he ruined everything! Now, once I get rid of you, I’ll kill him and replace him as Ladybug’s partner,” Rena Rouge cackled.

 

“Good luck with that. Ladybug’s gay and not in the mood for a new partner, akuma.”

 

“I’ll turn him straight either way.”

 

Cat Noir scrunched up his face. He temporarily forgot about the missiles since that statement was so disgusting.

 

“Take his Miraculous!” Squip demanded.

 

“Oh, and how could I forget? Give me your ring, already.”

 

“What? No!” Cat Noir stuck out his pole and pointed it at her.

 

“Fine. Be like that,” Rena put her lips up to the flute, played a different tune, and hurled an energy ball at a nearby building. It started crumbling and collapsing. “I’ll save the people inside if you give up your Miraculous. That’s all I want!” She said the last thing in a baby-ish tone.

 

Cat Noir shuddered and looked at his ring. He grabbed it and slowly slid it off his finger.

 

Until someone touched a falling rock, and the entire illusion dispersed.

 

“An ill- of course!” Cat Noir realized. He kicked one of the rockets and they all disappeared. “Your powers are based on illusions! A web of lies, just like your superhero identity!”

 

Cat Noir slammed his pole down on her, but it turned out that that body was an illusion, too.

 

“Dammit!” Cat Noir groaned. He flicked up the little cover on his pole (it was where the paw-print was) and called Ladybug.

 

“I don’t remember the last time something can outrun me!” Ladybug panted.

 

“It’s an illusion. Our foxy friend is actually an akuma!” He yelled into the phone. “Where is Rena?”

 

“Not here. Where do you think she was?”

 

“She promised to destroy Jeremy. I’ll count on you to send me directions to his place,” Cat Noir hung up.

 

Yeah, like, he needed them.

 

Cat Noir jumped inside his room and waited for the orange blur to sail by. She never did. He looked around confusedly.

 

“Hey, I’m here. Where the Hell is Jeremy?” Ladybug asked, concern creeping into his tone with every moment.

 

“Over here, Ladybug! Come alone, or I’ll kill your boyfriend right here, right now!” Rena Rouge demanded. She held up Jeremy by the wrist, his eyes wide with fear.

 

“It’s a trap, Ladybug,” Cat Noir grabbed his wrist.

 

“Really now? Where is Jeremy, then?” Ladybug turned back to him with a cold glance. Cat Noir shivered. Whenever Ladybug’s mind was made up on something, then only fools got in his way. Still, there was no way to prove that the Jeremy over there was fake.

 

“I’ll follow out of sight. I’ve got the subterfuge of an alley cat,” Cat Noir promised. Ladybug curtly nodded and swung his yo-yo after the false hero.

 

Rena Rouge ended up standing on top of Star Hill. She held Jeremy over a cliff and Ladybug stopped about ten feet from her. Cat Noir was still catching up.

 

“Why are you even doing this? Why are you so determined to hurt me?” Ladybug asked. “I wanted to give you a chance!”

 

“You didn’t even listen to me. This fucking loser-” she shook Jeremy’s body. He stared at Ladybug, shaking his head fervently. “Takes automatic prevalence. I just want to know why. Why him? He’s nothing compared to you, so-”

 

“You don’t know anything about him! You’re his classmate, and I know more about him than you do!” Ladybug scoffed. “Besides, he ended up being honest. You were the liar. You were just trying to butter up to me for fame or whatever, weren’t you?”

 

“That’s not it!” Rena insisted. “Maybe everyone just wants to be a h-”

 

“Rena Rouge, that’s not the point right now! You are not dropping him off a cliff!” Squip interrupted. “Get his Miraculous, but you are not-”

 

“Don’t worry, Squip. It’s an illusion,” she muttered that last part under her breath. Rena cleared her throat. “Alright, Ladybug, here’s the choice: your Miraculous or his life. Simple as that. Ten seconds to decide.”

 

“You’re not killing him,” Ladybug decided not even a second later. He gulped and shuffled the first earring off. His costume started dissipating.

 

From underneath the cliff, Cat Noir jumped off and slammed his pole at the two people. They both disappeared in a puff of orange smoke. The real Rena Rouge came out, her flute clutched.

 

“A cat’s eyesight never lies! Once again, you’re a liar!” Cat Noir pointed his pole.

 

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug shouted, a grit to his tone. Out came a ladybug themed megaphone.

 

“A pebble? What am I supposed to do with this?” Ladybug murmured. He looked around and his vision highlighted Rena Rouge only.

 

Who, after a quick tune, turned into twenty Rena Rouges. His vision highlighted all of them, too.

 

“Oh, duh. Cat Noir, get ready!”

 

“Cataclysm!” He chanted. His hand flared up with black energy.

 

“Ladies and gentleman of Montclair, if you can hear me, then prepare for us to take down this imposter hero!” Ladybug shouted into the megaphone. There was no one actually nearby, but it was all good.

 

“What are you talking about?” One of them growled. She had her ears covered.

 

“Cat Noir, now!” Ladybug shouted.

 

He slammed his paw on the ground and out came rust colored blades of grass that caged in the real Rena Rouge. He extended his pole and took care of the illusions.

 

She banged on the grass, but for some reason, it was as tough as steel. She went as far as to bash her flute against it and Cat Noir ripped her necklace off. With a tiny smirk on his face, he crushed it and the akuma flew out.

 

“I’m glad this is over,” Ladybug sighed. “The akuma makes an exit, and it’s time to disappear!” Ladybug opened his yo-yo and activated his last power. He twisted it around, caught the akuma, and let it go free as a butterfly. “Seeya, little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!” He grabbed the megaphone and launched it into the air. Any damages caused to the environment and city vanished. Madeline’s transformation wore off, too.

 

“Madeline?” Ladybug tried to reach out.

 

“What?” She hissed.

 

“I’ve been thinking about it, and I almost heard what you said. You said you wanted to be a hero, right?”

 

“That… may not be completely wrong,” she muttered.

 

“It’s not very fun, being Ladybug,” he admitted. “There’s a lot on my shoulders. Saving people, hiding my identity from people I care so much about, watching my friends turn into monsters… and having to fight them? It’s not fun. The powers are great, sure, but I’d much prefer not being Ladybug and having a life without akuma attacks.”

 

“Spare the hero talk. You just don’t want me becoming a problem later. Whatever. I’m leaving,” Madeline shrugged.

 

Cat Noir grabbed his shoulder before Ladybug could reach out.

 

“You can’t help everyone,” he admitted, a tired smile on his face.

 

“No, I really can’t,” Ladybug agreed. “That’s why you’re there to help, right?” He quickly rubbed his eyes. “Keep being the cat’s meow or whatever.”

 

Ladybug swung off. Cat Noir sighed, jumped, and flew through the air with his pole keeping him up.

 

-

 

“Anger still resides in her heat. Anger resides in many hearts. So much negativity around… and there’s also one of my pets going around, waiting for an opportunity,” Squip realized. “Ladybug and Cat Noir may be facing a huge problem.

 

_“A special action has been performed!”_

 

**_SANITY LEVEL: 71% ---- > 35%!_ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to everyone who wanted the real Rena Rouge! By the way, I'm calling Rena Rouge "Kitsune" and Carapace "Genbu" if we ever get to those points because I like those names better.


	13. The Pants Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Take a wild guess who the akuma is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost hitting the "season finale" of sorts, folks! Only 1 more akuma until we get there!

The sun rose on a new day, and Mr. Heere woke up. His phone went off, and someone from work sent a message. Multiple messages. Mostly links to newspapers.

 

News didn’t get to Mr. Heere very often, but he would eventually hear about things. He wasn't too out-of-touch with the world, despite popular belief.

 

Things like how his son was caught up in some weird forbidden love relationship with Montclair’s Ladybug-clad superhero.

 

He wanted to make sure to approach him kindly to-

 

He wanted to make sure to approach him menacingly and explain to him everything wrong with his relationship.

 

Mr. Heere knocked on Jeremy’s door a few times, each knock louder than the last. Jeremy didn’t open it. Not to worry, Mr. Heere had a key.

 

But Jeremy wasn’t there.

 

...

 

-

 

“I thought your dad said you couldn’t come?” Brooke asked.

 

“It was for no reason. I just woke up today and he was mad! He wouldn’t even tell me what was wrong. All he did was just…” Jeremy sighed. “Ground me or whatever. Really annoying. I haven't hung out with you guys in forever."

 

Michael patted his back and then poked his face. “I know how you feel. I've been busy these past few weeks... months... whatever. I hope he doesn’t find out, then. Mr. Heere is usually really chill.”

 

“He’s been uptight since the school year began. I don’t know if that’s just his promise to be a better dad, but I guess that… It must be that… Ugh. Nevermind.” Jeremy facepalmed.

 

“Alright, bubble tea addiction has been sated!” Christine whooped as she came back, most of the tension dissipating with her bounciness.

 

“I like these orby things. They make my throat feel good,” Jake said.

 

Rich started rapping the Gorillaz song.

 

“Let’s just get to Pinkberry before Jake starts beatboxing.” Chloe ushered Michael, Brooke, and Jeremy like children. Jenna and Christine had the song memorized, also.

 

And because Jeremy’s phone was off, he didn’t hear or feel his dad calling him.

 

That was only going to lead to trouble soon.

 

-

 

Jeremy stretched his neck, heard it crack, and cringed. The day at the mall didn’t go completely well. A few girls called him and Michael yaoi (“I thought that only happened to Asian people? Well, two Asian people. Still, that was disgusting,” Michael had said.) just because they were playing DDR together. 

 

Jeremy stuck his keys in the lock and twisted them to open the door. He completely forgot he was supposed to be grounded. So, he walked up to his room and saw his dad sitting on his bed.

 

Shit.

 

“Uh, dad-”

 

“Jeremy, what the Hell?” Mr. Heere’s voice didn’t sound angry. It was scarily neutral. Jeremy gulped.

 

“I, uh, dad, look-”

 

“First of all, you were grounded.”

 

“I know, I know,” Jeremy hurriedly answered. “Look, I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I was grounded!”

 

“Ladybug!” Mr. Heere’s tone was incredulous.

 

“So what? It’s not my fault he has a secret crush on me or whatever,” Jeremy said.

 

“Do you know how much danger he puts you into?”

 

“Dad, I never go to those fights because of how much danger I get put into!”

 

“Irregardless, why do you still talk to him? There are pictures, recent pictures, of you two talking! I forbid you from talking with him!”

 

“It’s a coincidence!” Jeremy scoffed. “Dad, you can’t just mandate who I can and can’t talk to. Ladybug’s not a bad person!”

 

“I’m not saying Ladybug is bad, but I’m still your father! If I didn’t want you to talk to thugs, I would say that, but since I know you don’t-the point is: Ladybug can get you hurt. If I had to guess, Ladybug doesn’t want that.”

 

“So why did you ground me earlier?”

 

“For not telling me about all this!”

 

“But it never came up-”

 

“Jeremy,” Mr. Heere interrupted. “Don’t talk to Ladybug anymore. I’m not risking your life out there. This isn’t something you can change my mind on. You’re grounded for longer for sneaking out, too.”

 

Mr. Heere took his phone and slammed the door. Plagg flew out and sat on his shoulder.

 

“I mean, he’s not exactly wrong.”

 

"He's still being unreasonable! It's nothing to instantly ground me over!" Jeremy scoffed.

 

Plagg sighed, “It's never simple with you kid. Keeps me entertained, though."

 

Jeremy sighed back. “Camembert’s in the mini fridge so please stop being annoying for a few seconds."

 

-

 

The window opened up. The Squip cracked his neck and then his knuckles.

 

“An adult doing his best for a son who just doesn’t under him. How come he doesn’t see his pain? How could be so selfish? Perfect emotions for an akuma to devour.”

 

He covered it in miasma and sent it up to the sky. He sighed and watched it head up the window towards Jeremy’s window. As if considering him a just as prime target, it pretty much changed its mind and returned to the Squip.

 

Mr. Heere sighed and took off the brooch that was hidden behind a tie. A purple butterfly kwami flew out of it with a swirl on its forehead. It looked timid and frail.

 

“Joseph, please… akumas are not meant for making villains,” Nooroo sounded like a broken vinyl record.

 

“Nooroo, you be quiet. I will be back shortly. With the Miraculous or not, you’ll be bound to me again. For now, you stay here,” he commanded.

 

Nooroo shut his mouth and gulped.

 

The akuma flew into his sweatpants and the miasma colored his body.

 

-

 

Jeremy stared up at the ceiling, a blank stare on his face. Large thumpings and  _ shunks _ went throughout his house.

 

_ SHUNK _

 

Jeremy didn’t like that noise.

 

_ SHUNKSHUNK _

 

Okay, he was definitely wary. He pulled on a pair of new clothes and his shoes, and got ready to jump out a window.

 

“The Pants Man says that it’s time for your legs to be mine!”

 

“Dad?” Jeremy muttered. That was definitely his voice, but then Jeremy looked at Plagg.

 

“Kid, I think you should leave,” was all Plagg said.

 

“Plagg… my dad isn’t Squip…” Jeremy realized. He wished he could be more happy about that. A part of him almost wished that he was the Squip so that it would be easier to take him down. Jeremy still couldn’t grasp the idea that his dad would treat him so unfairly and-

 

"Kid, stop brooding! There are more important problems!"

 

Thinking again, fighting him probably wouldn’t be easy. Nothing ever could be.

 

_ SHUNKSHUNKSHUNKSHUNK _

 

A cabinet with pants on kicked open the door. Jeremy’s eyes bulged and he scrambled out of the window, falling and landing with a soft groan. It would’ve hurt more without his powers, so he just ran away from the cabinet with pants on. 

 

“I’ve got to find Ladybug. Putting off problems is my favorite past time! And jerking off," Jeremy quipped to no one in particular.

 

Jeremy found himself deep in an alley. They were great for transforming.

 

“Good enough. Plagg, claws out,” Jeremy panted out. That sprint put him dead on his feet.

 

-

 

Michael was listening to chill tunes like Bohemian Groove Part 2 when he heard screaming. A bunch of people were running around in circles and causing chaos wherever they went. However, they were scared and terrified instead of laughing maniacally. A bunch of shrubs with pants on started poking people and Michael wondered if he was high.

 

“Michael, you’re not seeing things. Ladybug time!"

 

“Tikki, spots on,” Michael said with his jaw dropped. He donned the Ladybug costume and jumped out of the window.

 

-

 

“AH!” Cat Noir fell on the street. The pigeons with pants on knocked him to the ground.

 

“You got beaten by a bunch of birds?” Ladybug asked. He threw a yo-yo at a tree that was sprinting towards them like a rhino.

 

“I should’ve paid more attention in balance class!”

 

Ladybug gave him a stupefied look. “Don’t you mean gym?”

 

“Can we just find the source of this bullshit and go home!” Cat Noir growled. He slapped away a fire hydrant hopping towards them.

 

“Look, I don’t know why Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants got a remake, but this isn’t a reprise I enjoy, either!” Ladybug rolled his eyes. He took Cat Noir and Spiderman’d his way up to the chimney.

 

“The Pants Man will pants everyone in sight!” 

 

Cat Noir’s ears twitched. He heard it a decent distance away. He assumed his hearing was stronger than Ladybug’s, considering that his spotted partner didn’t react to anything.

 

“Come on. I heard him.”

 

“You heard him? What do you meEAAN!” Cat Noir grabbed his arm and jumped off the roof with his pole in hand, giving them an extra boost.

 

“Mayday, mayday, mayday, mayday, I put too much power into-”

 

Ladybug and Cat Noir crashed through someone’s house. As it turned out, it was Jenna’s, and she was doing homework on her computer, her headphones in.

 

Ladybug blinked.

 

Cat Noir waved.

 

Jenna’s jaw dropped.

 

“There’s an akuma outside, uh, bye!” Cat Noir turned around and ducked under a pair of pants shot towards him. Jenna pulled out her phone and Ladybug had to lift his leg over his head to dodge the next pair of pants.

 

“You could’ve just moved to the side,” Cat Noir deadpanned.

 

Ladybug smacked his arm and jumped down, yo-yo circling in his hand. Cat Noir spun his pole, too.

 

"I can be extra if I want."

 

The two heroes looked at The Pants Man and he was about everything they expected; he was a walking pair of pants with a mouth on his crotch area.

 

“The Pants Man will pants everyone!”

 

“Mr. Heere?” Ladybug muttered. Cat Noir thought he recognized that tone of voice from somewhere. But like… where?

 

“Ladybug, what are you doing?” Cat Noir jumped in front of him. As it turned out, Mr. Heere got pants on people by shooting pants out of his mouth. Superpowers were weird as shit.

 

“Cat Noir!” Ladybug shouted. Cat Noir had a dull look in his normally vibrant green eyes. Ladybug put his yo-yo in front of him. “Cat Noir, are you being mind controlled?”

 

Instead of responding, Cat Noir brought down his staff on Ladybug. He backflipped. Cat Noir jutted the pole.

 

“What are you doing? You idiot, stop!” Ladybug groaned. He grabbed the pole and jammed it into Cat Noir’s side. He pivoted his foot and dodged to the side with a surprising amount of grace. 

 

Cat Noir kept stabbing, thrusting, and pounding.

 

…

 

Ladybug was pissed at Cat Noir for making him think of those euphemisms. Time to destroy the furry.

 

“Alright, pussycat, it looks like I’m going to have to kick your ass so hard that you’ll lose two lives in one!” Ladybug threw his yo-yo at his pole. With a metallic clink, Cat Noir blocked it and extended his pole with frightful speed. Ladybug saw a pair of pants fly at him and he jumped up. Cat Noir took the opportunity to jump up and smack him down to earth. 

 

He could only barely put his arms up before he was sent crashing down.

 

“Agh!” Ladybug grumbled. He made an indent in the road, so he sighed and gritted his teeth. "When was Cat Noir ever this tough?"

 

“Cataclysm!” Cat Noir’s voice rang out. It seemed sad and desperate instead of passionate. 

 

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug replied. He didn't feel good about using his trump card as a response to Cat Noir's but fighting an outnumbered battle would never be in his favor.

 

A Ladybug themed cardigan fell out of the sky. 

 

“Jeremy’s going to get a kick out of this after the fight. Speaking of which, where is he?” Ladybug murmured. He took the cardigan and threw it at Cat Noir’s face. He kicked his chest and took the cardigan back.

 

His eyes glazed over a few things. Why was nothing being highlighted in his spotted vision? 

 

Ladybug looked down and his body glowed with a different shade of red and black. Oh, duh.

 

He put on the cardigan that reached down to his knees and charged The Pants Man. He fired the pants at Ladybug, but when they touched the cardigan, they just fell off. 

 

Shirts were immune to pants-ification. Who knew?

 

The Pants Man definitely didn’t like that, so Ladybug grinned like a beast about to sink its teeth into its prey and got up in his face… crotch. Same thing, in that case.

 

And Ladybug decided to literally tear him a new one. That wasn't too bad. Sure, he screamed a bit and it made Ladybug cringe, but...

 

It was whatevs.

 

The akuma flew out of the battered pair of living pants.

 

“The akuma makes an exit, and it’s time to disappear!” Ladybug opened his yo-yo and activated his last power. He never noticed before, but it was actually the Ladybug disc on his belt that caught the akuma for him. It was just the most natural thing to grab, so he didn't really pay too much attention to it. He twisted it around, caught the akuma, and let it go free as a butterfly. “Seeya, little butterfly.” He threw the cardigan up in the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”

 

Anyone with an odd pair of pants on lost them with the Ladybugs. Cat Noir was only a few feet away, his hand near Ladybug’s back. He blinked, realized what was going on, and screeched.

 

“OHMYGODIMSOS-”

 

“Cat Noir, chill!” Ladybug shut his mouth. For some reason, Cat Noir's behavior reminded him of when the Squad did ecstasy at the school play together. He was most like Rich when he was blasted, ironically enough. Cat Noir cataclysmed a pebble and sighed. He stared at Mr. Heere and soon left, no victory handshake to go with it.

 

“Ugh… what happened?” Mr. Heere rubbed his head, the miasma gone.

 

“You were akumatized, sir. You’re okay, now,” Ladybug promised, a small grin on his face.

 

“Ladybug? The one my son is-”

 

Ladybug’s grin froze. “Uh, yeah, I’m just going to take the emergency exit on this conversation!”

 

He yeeted his yo-yo as fast as possible to get away from that awkward experience. He and Jeremy already met each other’s families, anyway.

 

“I just wanted to say I was sorry.”

 

-

 

“Jeremy?” Mr. Heere knocked.

 

“Plagg, claws in,” Jeremy whispered. His costume dissipated instantly and Plagg rushed inside his pocket. “Yeah?” Jeremy gave him a dry response.

 

He came in, a hesitant look in his eyes.

 

“What?” Jeremy curtly muttered.

 

“I did multiple dumb things today. First of all, I’m sorry for grounding you.”

 

Jeremy turned around, a distrusting and hopeful expression merging together.

 

“It’s not fair of me to treat you like a kid when you’re seventeen. I should trust a good kid to be responsible of his own decisions, especially when he’s got the eye of a superhero. Says something about you, doesn’t it?” Mr. Heere asked.

 

“I…” Jeremy low-key wanted to be an edgy angsty mess and blow things out of proportion, but he held it back with a healthy dose of common sense. “Thank you. I’m sorry for not telling you about all this and sneaking out when I was grounded. It wasn’t cool. You’re just trying to protect me.”

 

“Friends, then?” Mr. Heere held out a fist.

 

“Okay,” Jeremy smiled.

 

“Pound it!”

 

-

 

"Master?" Nooroo's tinny voice rang out.

 

"I have returned, defeated. Fighting them first-hand has given me some ideas on how to gain their Miraculouses. And if I work hard enough, then maybe my head will stop pounding and I can finally give Jeremy the life I was supposed to give him."

 

"I know it's not my place, but why don't you try on getting your wife back?" Nooroo asked.

 

"Nooroo, I'll say this once; never suggest that again," Mr. Heere said, his blue eyes blazing like a colossal burner flame. He put the brooch with a purple gem and four wings on behind the tie on his neck. "And now, it's time to get to work."

 

"Oh no..."

 

"Nooroo, dark wings, rise!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally had Mr. Heere abuse Jeremy and I'm like
> 
> "Hm... nah, I can do it this way better"


	14. She-Beast - Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cady Heron doesn't like high-school anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, and this series will unfortunately meet its end soon. I'll do the next akuma and then Hawkmoth and idk how long those arcs will be.

“Jeremy, holy fuck!” Michael kicked open his door. “We need to hang out!”

 

“What if I was wanking it? You would feel ashamed for not knocking on the door!” Jeremy shouted back at him from the living room. “But I guess you’re right. Life’s been pretty hectic. Or maybe it’s because I found a new best friend named my hard drive.”

 

“Ouch. That hurt. Right here,” Michael pointed to his heart.

 

“Since when do you wear Ladybug earrings? I thought you only liked black ones,” Jeremy noticed.

 

“Everyone’s wearing them, and as much as I hate following trends, I liked them. They fit me, yeah?” Michael snickered as if he told a joke. His snicker was never as mocking as a real one, but after knowing him for so long, Jeremy knew the meaning.

 

“Sure, I guess,” Jeremy shrugged. “I’ve got my GameCube plugged in. Mario Party 2?”

 

“Uh, always!”

 

For a few hours, the two of them screamed at each other and somehow didn’t ruin their friendship with that game. No akuma attacks (both of them checked the news every so often) and no interruptions to stop them from hanging out.

 

“And I win, bitch!” Jeremy whooped.

 

“Ah, yes, your one win to my a hundred. Very proud of you,” Michael mocked him.

 

Jeremy flipped him off. Michael cackled.

 

“Want to get a pizza or some Mick Dicks?” Jeremy asked.

 

“I would like Micky D’s as long as you promise to never say that again." Michael swung his car keys around his finger. He missed Jeremy so fucking much, God. Crush or not, he was still his best friend and their hang outs were one of Michael’s favorite past times.

 

-

 

Unfortunately, a certain someone else’s best friend wasn’t as great as Jeremy.

 

“So, you’ll talk to him?” A girl in a zombie bride outfit asked.

 

“If you want me to.”

 

“Nothing embarrassing!”

 

“What do you think I am, an amateur?”

 

Cady watched Regina go by and inwardly squealed. Oh God, she was going to talk to Aaron! For her! Cady couldn’t lip read, but they seemed to be getting deep into conversation and then they looked at her with smiles!

 

A calm grin found itself on Cady’s face. How could Janis say such awful things about Regina? She was simply the greatest…

 

“Slut!” Cady hissed under her breath. Regina kissed Aaron. No, wrong, Aaron kissed Regina. Still wrong. They kissed each other. Oh, God, they were kissing and Aaron pulled at her hair and she dug her claws into his costume.

 

Her animal instincts told her to rip Regina’s throat out, but her human side burst into tears and forced out of the party, her dress tearing on a few stray branches.

 

Cady ripped off part of the dress and facepalmed as she ran on over to Janis’s house. There was no way that it was over. She would get revenge.

 

“Regina George…” She growled. It wasn’t only about Aaron, either. Regina was her… third friend. Or at least, Cady thought she was. She strung the new girl along like a puppet master and probably laughed at her the entire time!

 

They would see who’d be laughing by the end.

 

-

 

The butterfly window opened up in Squip’s lair.

 

“Betrayal and heartbreak in the same moment? I can sense a powerful despair rising, and it’s perfect for my akuma’s influence,” Squip said. He stretched out his arms and covered the butterfly in miasma. “Fly away, my akuma, and evilize her!”

 

-

 

Cady almost reached her house. The akuma got to her wig first.

 

“She-Beast! Your so-called ‘friend’ left you in the dust! You trusted her, and she left you in the dust!”

 

“She did…” Cady snarled. The purple butterfly mask appeared on her face.

 

“If you get me the Miraculouses of Ladybug and Cat Noir, I’ll give you the ability to exact revenge,” Squip promised.

 

“Really now?” Cady grinned. The miasma coated her body, and the call of the wild came down on the town of Montclair.

 

-

 

“I should’ve gotten a happy meal,” Jeremy said. “Cure my depression.”

 

“That’s not how it wo-"

 

“Shut up, Michael,” Jeremy interrupted. He took a long slurp out of his coke and saw a shadow fly overhead. It was almost sunset, but it didn’t look natural. He wanted to chalk it up to being a random phosphene, but…

 

“Did you see that Jeremy?” Michael squinted.

 

“The shadow thing, right?” He asked.

 

The two of them looked at each other.

 

“I think we should go,” they both said. “Jinx. Stay safe."

 

They smiled at each other. Michael broke a few speed limits.

 

He dropped Jeremy home and when Michael drove off, he ran to the side of his house and ducked underneath the bushes.

 

“Kid, come on! It’s probably nothing,” Plagg sighed.

 

“If it’s nothing, I’ll give you an extra helping of Camembert.”

 

“Well, what are you waiting for, then?”

 

“Plagg, claws out!” Jeremy cheered.

 

-

 

“You should always trust your gut, Michael. Do you think it’s worth investigating?” Tikki asked. He decided to stop in an alley.

 

“Despite ladybugs representing good luck, something tells me that this isn’t a coincidence. Tikki, spots on!” Michael whooped. A brief red light changed him into the spotted hero and he swung up to the rooftop, his brown eyes scanning the area.

 

The shadow flew by again, and Michael gasped. It dive bombed at him, and if he jumped left a fraction of a second earlier, he would’ve been…

 

Bird… food?

 

The akuma wasn’t a bird. It was more of a chimera with the hair of a human, head of a dragon, the wings of a grossly enlarged bat, the body of a lion, and Michael could see gills on it. It’s mane was dark brown or red or something. Every screech it let out seemed to be a mix of animalistic pain and human despair. A horrific sound that shook Ladybug to the core and forced tears to start streaming down his eyes. He wasn’t even weepy and suspected the tears weren’t exactly his own.

 

“Give me your Miraculous!” It growled. It sounded as if it had two voices… since it had two mouths, actually. Disgusting.

 

Ladybug could already see the people coming out to investigate. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the bird-thing for one moment, so he just hoped they had enough common sense.

 

“Coming to you live, Ladybug is engaging a horrific akuma today! It seems to be a griffin and dragon mix! Where is Cat Noir, anyway?” A woman from a helicopter asked.

 

The bird clawed at the propeller and Ladybug gasped. He swung to it, but Cat Noir beat him there first and he turned back around. It was right up on his tail. He flipped and threw the yo-yo at it’s snout. It didn’t do much damage, but it stunned it for a few moments.

 

“Got them!” Cat Noir shouted. His voice wasn’t playful. Serious Cat Noir meant the situation was freaking real then.

 

“Everyone! This akuma’s different, so get away!” Ladybug shouted. The crashing helicopter helped goad them into running.

 

“What should we do? It's even faster than Verve,” Cat Noir said, pole pointed towards the currently circling-in-the-air akuma.

 

“Naturally, slow it down or match its speed.”

 

“How are we going to match it?” Cat Noir scoffed.

 

“Remember Clairvoyant? You’re going to be sent flying, though.”

 

“Purr-fect plan. In case you couldn't tell, that wasn't sar- move!” Cat Noir tackled Ladybug away from another dive bomb. “Just do it then!”

 

Ladybug jumped between two buildings down to the street. He went to the rust colored building on the left and tied his yo-yo around a hook. He jumped to the other side and tied the string to yet another hook. He bent it with his fingers and was honestly a bit excited.

 

“Now!” He shouted. Cat Noir jumped down and pressed down on the wire. With a crazed smirk on his face, the cat was sent flying. Maybe the situation wasn't as bad as they thought!

 

And he missed. The black cat got sent to the violet sky up above, so above it all.

 

Ladybug facepalmed and waited for Cat Noir to get down. It may be a while. No, wait, Ladybug could see him falling… and flailing. He could probably take care of himself.

 

-

 

“Try to keep separating them. They’re a lot easier to handle that way!” Squip advised.

 

She-Beast didn’t respond. Her mind was a bit fuzzy, but everything shouted at her to kill the ladybug and cat. She decided to go after the falling cat, but it turned out that he could spin and cartwheel off her body. She growled and tried to eat the pest, but that same pole found itself in her mouth. She couldn’t bite down, no matter how hard she tried.

 

“Cat Noir, we’re just going to have to charm this villain!” Ladybug punned. Cat Noir gave him a supportive thumbs up while a few of the lingering citizens groaned.

 

“Do it, milord!”

 

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug chanted. Out came a chamber pot. “Wait, what? A chamber pot? What am I supposed to do with this? I can’t see anything…”

 

Cat Noir’s ears perked up. “Ladybug, I have to go.”

 

“What?” His head snapped towards her feline partner. “Where?”

 

“To our victory.”

 

“Can you be more-” Ladybug saw him run off. He considered chasing after him, but he had a griffin to take care of.

 

-

 

“Plagg, claws in!” Cat Noir hissed. The costume dissipated and he ran inside Wang Fu’s shop. “Master Fu!”

 

“Come in, Cat Noir.”

 

“Master Fu, it’s an emergency. Do you remember when we fought Lilith and I found that book?” Jeremy asked. “Ladybug’s lucky charm became a chamber pot, and I think you need to supply us with some of those powers you told us about.”

 

“I see. The Lucky Charm is mysterious, but if your gut is right, then we have a problem."

 

“Problem? How?” Jeremy widened his eyes.

 

“The translations and ingredients, the ladder being the main problem,” he started. “Wayzz, Plagg, this information is not for you. I’ve only worked on two of the powers, sea and sun.”

 

Plagg groaned, “Master Fu! This stuff is interesting, though! As much as I hate powering up-”

 

“Master, please,” Wayzz interrupted. “I’m oh so curious of what powers-”

 

“The Kwamis can’t ever know the secrets that give them more powers! If they do, Hawkmoth could learn from you and then who knows what kind of damage that would do?” Master Fu interrupted. He led Jeremy to a different room with Plagg and Wayzz left behind looking dejected.

 

“Sea and sun?” Jeremy tilted his head.

 

“Basically, one gives the ability to traverse underwater and the other gives the ability to fly.”

 

“Flight would be perfect!” Jeremy beamed. “But the ingredients-”

 

“Breath of the sea, those are clouds. Plant of the yellow star, that’s a sunflower. I’m stuck on the last one, however. The form of the angels.”

 

“Form of the angels?” Jeremy thought back to all of the Christian mythology he once studied for fun. Sue him, he was a nerd.

 

“I’ve tried religious symbols, statues, direct sunlight, and other holy things, but none of it worked!”

 

“Have you ever tried setting a fire?” Jeremy asked.

 

“A fire? Jeremy, why-”

 

“In Christian mythology, angels came in many forms. One of them was living flames which, ironically enough, made them look scary, so they would always declare for people to not be afraid of them,” Jeremy explained. “It’s worth a shot.”

 

“I suppose it is. Trust me when I say that collecting a cloud is difficult.”

 

Jeremy laughed. Master Fu got a lighter and lit up a cigarette. Jeremy gave him a disapproving stare.

 

“I don’t smoke, Jeremiah.”

 

Jeremy nodded curtly. Almost like a mother. He dipped the flame in the concoction and it glowed with a bright yellow light that almost blinded them.

 

“Plagg, come in!” Jeremy shouted. Plagg sighed and morphed through the door. Wang Fu brought up the almost blinding yellow liquid to his mouth.

 

“Ugh, I hate the-”

 

“Plagg, power up!” Jeremy cheered.

 

“TaAAaaaste!” Plagg’s body shined white. “Airborn Plagg!”

 

His bright green eyes turned duller and bat-like wings sprung from his back. He also had a pointy tail at the end and he looked like a deformed bat. It still looked cool, though.

 

“Airborn Plagg, claws out!” Jeremy chanted. Plagg flew into his ring and an electric green glow covered his body.

 

Cat Noir’s head got even spikier than usually. Almost like a mane. His ears got wider and they were calmer than before. Bat-like wings attached themselves to his arms and a webbing probably as strong as spider silk attached the midnight wings to him. His feet had bat wings on the sides and black decorative plumage made up his the rest of his suit. His tail was gone, weirdly enough.

 

“This is so awesome! Ladybug will-” Cat Noir gasped. “Ladybug. Oh, God, it’s almost five minutes!”

 

“Cat Noir, you must go and deliver this vial to Ladybug,” Wang Fu said. Cat Noir nodded once.

 

“Wang Fu, I think Ladybug needs to-”

 

“I know what you’re going to say. He’s not ready yet. I don’t like more than one of you knowing all these secrets. I barely like one of you knowing them, either. But you did find the book.”

 

“But Ladybug seemed upset!”

 

“He still trusts you, does he not?”

 

Cat Noir frowned. “And I’m abusing it.”

 

He took his pole, realized he had flighty powers, and jumped through his window. He extended his arms and flapped them. With a powerful updraft, he soared up into the sky and consciously steered himself forward. It was just like swimming, but it took up a lot less energy and was a thousand times more fun. He didn't even have to beat his wings too hard.

 

Time to rejoin the fight.

 

-

 

“Hagh, hagh, hagh,” Ladybug panted out. His Lucky Charm was gone, and the akuma was still flying overhead. His Miraculous was on one dot and Cat Noir wasn’t back. Everyone was watching and-

 

“Give me your Miraculous!” The voices rang out. Ladybug jumped down from the divebomb and let the akuma crash into the building. He winced at the damages and fell to his knees after the fall.

 

“Ladybug, you can’t give up on us now!” Jenna said, her phone trained on Ladybug. He couldn’t even give it a reassuring smile.

 

“I… I’m not going to,” Ladybug promised. His knees were shaking. That had never happened before. He swung his yo-yo, slower than usual, but it was still moving. “Jenna, I promise that I’m not giving up.”

 

He had less than thirty seconds to pull out a winner though. He couldn’t hide anywhere. Cat Noir needed to come now.

 

Ten seconds passed, and he wasn’t around. The akuma was still overhead.

 

“Jenna, you’ll have to cover me. Please. I’m about to turn back!” Ladybug begged. His earrings beeped rapidly.

 

“Oh, okay, uh, go in that dumpster!” Jenna pointed. Ladybug charged in it and Cat Noir stopped him.

 

“You… you’re flying!” Ladybug pointed at his feet.

 

“Give this to your kwami after you detransform! I’ll handle it for now! Make sure to say power up and stuff!” Cat Noir promised.

 

Ladybug had no time for questions. He really hoped that, whatever it was, it was going to help.

 

He jumped in the dumpster and watched Tikki fly out of his earrings. She coughed and Michael fed Tikki a cookie from his pocket.

 

“You really need to eat fast, Tikki!” Michael felt the sweat roll down his back. Jenna could expose his identity at any time. He held the door and prayed that Jenna wouldn’t get a glimpse of him if she did try to break in.

 

“I’m going!” Tikki promised. It took twenty seconds of tense silence for Tikki to finish and then drink the potion.

 

_Chomp-chomp-chomp_

 

"Tikki!" Michael groaned.

 

"Michael!" Tikki shouted back. She finished the cookie and downed the vial. 

 

“Tikki, power up?” Michael tried. With a quick flash of white light, Tikki gained translucent ladybug wings along with longer antennae.

 

“Soaring Tikki!” The kwami chirped.

 

“Soaring Tikki, spots on!” Michael decided it would be more appropriate to call her by her new name. Within a few seconds, he gained quite a few changes.

 

First of all, his back gained something similar akin to a backpack that opened up to form large ladybug wings. His costume turned mostly black except for the akuma-catcher on his pelvis. His feet also had decorative ladybug wings and his hair got spikier, too.

 

Ladybug jumped out of the dumpster and floated as if he had been flying his entire life. Jenna’s jaw dropped and Ladybug winked at the camera before going to join Cat Noir.

 

He currently was doing the Black Tornado (spinning pole really fast) move in mid-air which looked really cool but didn’t really make sense. How was he not pushing himself back? Magic? That would explain why he was able to break a fundamental law about forces.

 

Ladybug flew behind the akuma and smirked. “Nice wings, mine are better!”

 

“You talking to me or the akuma?” Cat Noir scoffed. The akuma roared and looked back and forth at the flying heroes.

 

“So, Ladybug and Cat Noir do have secret powers. I need a translation of that book in order to gain those same powers,” Squip realized. “She-Beast! Just because they can fly doesn’t mean you should falter! Take their Miraculouses!”

 

She-Beast screeched and went after Cat Noir. Ladybug threw his yo-yo at her feet and pulled back. Doing anything like fighting was as easy in the air as it was on land. Ladybug wasn’t complaining.

 

“Dive Bomb!” Cat Noir cheered. He did two front flips and brought his pole down on She-Beast’s head. She went down to the ground with a deafening crash.

 

“Where do you think the akuma is?” Ladybug asked. She-Beast slowly got up and let out a deafening screech. Both of their eyes started leaking again.

 

“The hair. Rip her hair and we’ll probably find the akuma. There’s nothing decorative on her body,” Cat Noir replied, his eyes not leaving the chimera.

 

“Alright, get ready then!”

 

“Cataclysm!” Cat Noir’s hand charged with black energy.

 

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug continued. A bear trap fell into his hands.

 

“Don’t let that get on my… non-existent tail,” Cat Noir deadpanned. “It gives me anxiety. I’m such a pussy.”

 

“Alright, tomcat. Just grab at her hair when I shut up that snout,” Ladybug told him. A torrent of flame erupted from the ground and Ladybug facepalmed.

 

“Flame breath. Dragon head. Right,” Cat Noir groaned. Ladybug went in first with Cat Noir hot on his tail. The akuma went up to meet them and Ladybug threw his yo-yo a little bit too right. The akuma moved left, which was the intention, and Ladybug could directly jump on its beak. He snapped the trap over its snout and watched the akuma desperately try to claw at it. Too short limbs and a not strong enough jaw left it vulnerable. Cat Noir gave its head a love tap and the akuma flew out.

 

“The akuma makes an exit, and it’s time to disappear!” Ladybug opened his yo-yo and activated his last power. He twisted it around, caught the akuma, and let it go free as a butterfly. “Seeya, little butterfly.” He threw the bear-trap up in the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!”

 

Every crumbled building went back to normal and for the first time in what felt like forever, Ladybug and Cat Noir kicked high-fived into low-five and tapped their feet.

 

“Let’s go!”

 

Ladybug and Cat Noir dropped between the girl in the zombie bride costume. She ripped it off and kicked it away.

 

“Ma’am? Are you okay?” Ladybug asked.

 

“What happened? I remember Regina and… getting so angry and if you-” Her eyes lit up. Not happily. They had a flash of realization followed by a slightly dropped jaw. “I got akumatized.”

 

“It’s not your fault. Lots of people have been akumatized because of bad moments. Squip just takes advantage of them,” Cat Noir said.

 

“So what? I still hurt people and now tomorrow’s going to be worse. So much worse.” Cady covered her mouth.

 

“Whoever hurt you that badly should immediately apologize and you shouldn’t accept anything else than an apology. Don’t take anyone’s crap,” Cat Noir said.

 

She gave the heroes sad smiles before going away. Ladybug and Cat Noir made sure the reporters couldn’t bother the victims, at least temporarily, if they could.

 

-

 

“Negativity is flowing throughout Montclair. It’s almost like a call of the wild that forces every animal to converge on one source. I suspect this isn’t the last time we’ll see She-Beast. And Montclair has definitely not seen me for the last time!” Squip promised. The window in his basement closed.

 

-

 

"Okay, so what the fuck was that?" Ladybug asked that night.

 

Cat Noir facepalmed. So that was why Ladybug wanted to meet up. Of course he would have questions.

 

"I can't tell you," he immediately squeaked out.

 

"You can't tell me where we got the ability to fly from? Cat Noir, you left me alone there! Five minutes, and I almost lost my identity! What the fuck?" Ladybug scoffed.

 

"I know, but it's just that he-"

 

"Who's he?" Ladybug stomped towards him and poked his chest. "Why are you lying to me?"

 

"I can't tell you."

 

"You won't, you mean."

 

"It's a secret!"

 

"No, our identities are secret. Freaking power-ups are different. What, did you have to kill someone for these powers?" Ladybug didn't want that to be the answer. Cat Noir shook his head no.

 

"Ladybug, it's not the right time yet."

 

"So when is it the right time? When you're knocked unconscious and I need the ability to fight a bird-like akuma and I can't get to your power-up source? This makes no sense!"

 

"It's not my secret to tell!"

 

Ladybug stared him down. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes and sneered. "You're fucking with me."

 

Cat Noir facepalmed again, smacked his pole against the ground, and jumped off Star Hill. Ladybug half-heartedly chased after him, but the cat blended in with the night.

 

"Coward!" Ladybug shouted into the night.

 

He kicked a patch of ground. Maybe he was being a bit too emotional, but Cat Noir literally couldn't have cut it any closer. And he was lying, too? What the Hell?

 

"He's stupid. Something must've knocked his brain slightly loose or something. Man, he better have mental issues or I'm going to make sure that peanut allergy kills him when I kick his nuts up into his throat," Ladybug muttered. As angry as he was, he couldn't help but feel a little bit cold as he went back to his house. Weird. The suit was supposed to protect him from that stuff.

 

-

 

_“A special action has been performed!”_

 

**_SANITY LEVEL: 35% ---- > 1%!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got rid of the weird poetry-esque things at the end of each chapter because I didn't like them.
> 
> Also Airborn Plague was the joke I was trying to make.


	15. Author’s Note

A little while ago, there was a suicide at my school. Idk if I’ll update this again, but if not, just know a few things

A) thank you everyone who’s followed and commented and kudos the series  
B) basically, the big sanity countdown was something similar to the plot of Hero’s Day which I’m really annoyed about bc I thought I was clever for thinking of multiple Akumas at once   
C) I should’ve introduced Kitsune (my preferred name for Rena Rouge), Genbu (my preferred name for Carapace), and Queen Bee earlier. They would’ve been Christine, Rich, and Brooke respectively.  
D) I’m really sorry about the lack of updates before the big finale. It doesn’t help that I’ve already seen the show and basically left a decent chunk of works on this site already.

**Author's Note:**

> Aw, Michael thinks that Jeremy won't get emotionally damaged after this chapter :)


End file.
